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New York’s bagels—and pizza, for that matter—may be headed for a subtle but significant tweak.
State lawmakers have passed the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, a bill that would ban potassium bromate, a common additive found in some commercial flours used to make dough. The legislation is now sitting on Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk, awaiting a decision that could affect bakeries and pizzerias across the state.
So what exactly is potassium bromate, and why does it matter? In short, it’s a dough conditioner. Bakers have long used it to strengthen dough, improve elasticity and create a more consistent final product, which is especially helpful when you’re dealing with New York’s wildly unpredictable weather. It’s basically the behind-the-scenes stabilizer that helps your bagel come out the same on a humid July morning as it does on a cold February one.
But it’s also controversial. The additive has been linked to cancer and other health risks, which is why it’s already banned in places like California, Canada and the European Union. New York’s proposed ban would lump it in with other additives like Red 3 and propylparaben, all of which have been flagged for potential health concerns.
For some bakers, the change wouldn’t be all that dramatic. Joe Pucciarelli, head pizza maker at Buffalo’s Extra Extra, told local outlet WKBW that his shop has never used potassium bromate in the first place, opting instead for additive-free flour that they say produces better flavor.
The trade-off, however, is less predictability. “There are days when we mix dough, and it’s 70 degrees one day and 40 degrees the next day and the doughs are pretty different from day to day,” he said. “Using the chemically altered flours, it would give you much more consistency, where you know what you will get every day.”
Others in the industry are less enthusiastic. Some bakery owners worry that reformulating recipes could take time (and money), while food industry groups argue that the added compliance costs will ultimately show up on your receipt.
“We want to keep the prices low. However, at a time when inflation is already driving food costs to record highs, this bill would impose a significant new compliance cost on our suppliers, manufacturers and retailers,” said Tara Martin, a spokesperson for New Yorkers for Safe and Affordable Groceries. “And inevitably, if you pass this legislation, these costs will be passed down to consumers.”
If the bill becomes law, suppliers would have about a year to phase out bromated flour, with restaurants allowed to use up existing stock before making the switch. That gives bakers some runway to tweak recipes, test fermentation times and figure out how to recreate that perfect chew without a chemical assist.
As for whether your morning bagel will taste different? Possibly, but not necessarily worse. If anything, the shift could push more shops toward slower, more traditional methods that rely less on additives and more on time, temperature and a little bit of human intuition.