A looming ban on potassium bromate, a flour additive linked to cancer, could force thousands of New York pizzerias and bagel shops to change their recipes. State lawmakers have passed a bill, now awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature, which has divided dough-makers.
Salvatore Lo Duca, who runs Lo Duca Pizza in Brooklyn with his five brothers, discovered that the bromated flour he had used for over a decade contains a suspected carcinogen already banned in many countries. He began tweaking his parents' original recipe, finding that an alternative flour produced quality results, albeit at a higher cost.
Pizza historian Scott Wiener estimates that approximately 80% of pizza and bagel shops rely on bromated flour, which reduces dough rest time and contributes to a stronger, chewier product. He described the potential ban as an 'earth-shaking event for New York pizza,' noting that the additive is part of the slice's identity.
Jesse Spellman, second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, has been adjusting his family recipe by experimenting with yeast concentrations and rise time. He acknowledged that achieving the same bagel texture without the chemical shortcut would require more work and expense.
Conversely, many view the ban as long overdue. Potassium bromate is already outlawed across the European Union, China, India, Canada, and will be banned in California next year. Professor Erik Millstone of the University of Sussex noted that studies dating back to the 1980s have shown the additive can cause cancer in laboratory animals at 'perfectly reasonable' doses.
Should the legislation pass, businesses will receive a one-year grace period to continue using the additive, plus additional time to deplete unexpired bags. Wiener believes the shift could ultimately enhance pizza quality, leading to lighter, better-fermented doughs.
