6 ingredients to avoid when buying bread

Additives are used in commercial breads for a number of reasons: antioxidants do not deteriorate and extend their shelf life, dough conditioners achieve a desired texture, and sweeteners are used to enhance flavor as well as retain moisture.

Unfortunately some GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) ingredients used today have been linked to negative health effects, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Some additives are worse than others, and the hardest ingredient to pronounce isn’t always the most harmful.

¿Los ingredientes del pan hacen daño a la salud?

What ingredients should I avoid when buying bread?

1. Potassium bromate

Potassium bromate is an oxidizing agent used for “ripe” bread flour, it helps to strengthen the dough and gives it more volume. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is part of the WHO and whose mission is to prevent cancer by investigating the possibility of human exposure to carcinogens, find that potassium bromate is dangerous .

While there are no data that potassium bromate is directly associated with cancer according to IARC reports, it has been found to cause kidney and thyroid tumors in rats.

Although potassium bromate is on the list of chemicals that can cause cancer, the FDA approves the use of this additive. Bromate in essence has been banned around the world, except in the United States and Japan. The compound can appear on any nutritional label, so avoid breads that contain this additive.

¿El bromato de potasio es dañino?

2. Azodicarbonamide

This additive is used as a dough conditioner to improve the texture and strength of the bread dough. The compound, abbreviated ADA, received enormous media attention when sandwich chain Subway announced that it would be removing this additive from its bread dough, due to potentially harmful health effects.

Concerns center on semicarbazide (SEM), a chemical found when ADA breaks down during bread making.

According to the FDA at high levels semicarbazide increases the incidence of tumors when fed to female mice, but not to male mice. The government agency claims that SEM levels in rodents far exceed estimates of human exposure from consumption of the ADA-treated bread or flour product.

Consequently, azodicarbonamide is still approved for use as a food additive, even though it is not necessary to make bread and there are no approved alternative ingredients for its use available. However, it is best to steer clear of any ingredient that is being investigated as a potential cancer-causing product .

¿Existen ingredientes peligrosos en el pan?

3. Partially hydrogenated oil

The FDA has required food manufacturers to list the amounts of trans fats on food labels since 2006. These fats are dangerously formed during ” partial hydrogenation ,” used to make products resistant to oxidation, and to deterioration. However, if a food contains less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving, the Nutrition Facts label may legally say “0 g” and people could unknowingly ingest more than a couple of grams of trans fat from packaged foods. for the whole day.

To ensure that the bread does not contain trans fat, check the ingredient label. Mentioning “ partially hydrogenated oil ” is a clear indication that the product contains trans fats.

Consuming trans fats increases the “bad” type of cholesterol (LDL) that is harmful to the arteries and increases systemic inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Many health experts advise eating foods with no trans fat at all.

¿El azúcar que contiene el pan es dañino para la salud?

4. Sugar

Sugar serves many functions in bread products. Aside from producing a sweet taste, sugar can also bulk up breads, add texture, and retain water, making bread moister and softer and delaying rancidity.

The problem is that it recommends consuming no more than 3% to 8% of calories from sugar, however, the average consumption is 16%. Consuming a lot of sugar can increase triglycerides and LDL cholesterol , both of which increase the risk of heart disease, as well as lead to weight gain, hormonal disorders, and diabetes.

¿Qué ingredientes del pan son dañinos para la salud?

5. Monoglycerides and diglycerides

Monoglycerides and diglycerides act as emulsifiers in bread , bringing together water and oil, which are ingredients that cannot be combined on their own. This makes the bread softer, improves the texture of the dough and prevents hardening.

These emulsifiers, even though they are not harmful to human health, are a sign of industrial food production. Higher quality products tend not to use them for a very good reason: other ingredients like egg yolks and milk can act as emulsifiers and be more nutritious. Instead, large-scale bread production relies on these additives to ensure product uniformity.

¿qué es el Butilhidroxianisol?

6. Butylhydroxyanisole (BHA)

BHA is an antioxidant used as a preservative to prevent bread staling , that is, the chemical deterioration of fats that occurs with exposure to oxygen. Most breads contain small amounts of fat that can cause it to go rancid over time.

Food manufacturers are concerned about rancidity, as it produces an unpleasant odor and taste; for this reason they add commercial antioxidants. Unfortunately this compound is listed as a cancer cause of chemicals , however BHA is still approved for use as a food additive by the FDA.

Many consumers and advocacy groups are frustrated by this approval, given the wide availability of safe alternatives that serve the same purpose as BHA, including vitamins E and C.

Reference

  • Mancinelli, K. 10 Ingredients to always avoid in bread (plus, 7 bread brands that are your best bets!) For Livestrong [Revised August 2016]