Evaluation of Potassium Bromate Levels in Bread Products Marketed in Ghemines City

Abstract

Bread is a staple food that is indispensable throughout Libya for all Social and economic groups. Potassium bromate (KBrO3) is a white crystal/powder that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless and is used as a food additive in the pastry industry to improve the function of dough as an oxidizing and bleaching agent. After several long-term studies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified potassium bromate as a possible carcinogen (Group 2B), and in 2012 the Codex Alimentarius Commission officially withdrew the specification for potassium bromate as an additive. The study aim is to verify that Libyan bread, especially Ghemines city bread, is free of potassium bromate. Different bread samples were randomly collected from 19 bakeries in Ghemines. The samples were then analyzed using a spectrophotometric method. This method is based on the reaction of bromate ions with iodide ions in an acidic medium to produce iodine. This substance has been found at a concentration significantly above the permissible level of potassium bromate set by the USFDA and Libyan Standard National Regulation in bread. Therefore, bread consumers and bakers are at risk of exposure to potassium bromate.