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New York state lawmakers have passed a bill banning potassium bromate, a flour additive used in roughly 80% of the state's pizza and bagel shops, according to the Associated Press. The measure now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature. A spokesperson for Hochul said she will review the bill.
As an oxidizing agent, potassium bromate speeds up dough preparation by cutting rest time and yielding a product with greater strength and chew — characteristics that have long defined New York-style pizza and bagels. Studies going back to the 1980s have shown it can cause cancer in laboratory animals, according to the Associated Press. The additive is already banned across the E.U., China, India, Canada, and California, where a prohibition takes effect next year.
Under the legislation, bakeries and other affected businesses would be allowed a full year before compliance is required, with a further window to exhaust any remaining stock of bromated flour they had already purchased, the Associated Press reported.
The legislation has divided bakeries and pizzerias across the state. Jesse Spellman, the second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, said the transition would be neither easy nor cheap. "You could achieve that same bagel texture, but it's a lot more work and it's going to be a lot more expensive," he told the Associated Press. In anticipation of the potential prohibition, Spellman said he has been reworking his family's recipe, tinkering with how much yeast he uses and how long the dough is left to rise.
