Proposed New York Additive Ban Would Bar Potassium Bromide In Pizza And Bagels

A proposed additive ban in New York would prohibit businesses from using potassium bromide, a key component of a type of flour used at many New York City pizzerias and bagel shops, and the bill is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

“A proposed additive ban could change New York’s pizza and bagels, some say for the better A proposed additive ban could change New York’s pizza and bagels, some say for the better NEW YORK (AP) — After more than a decade of mixing and kneading dough in his family’s Brooklyn pizzeria, Salvatore Lo Duca recently made a distressing discovery: A key component of their thin-crust pies, bromated flour, contained a suspected carcinogen already banned in much of the world”

Associated Press

After more than a decade mixing and kneading dough in his family’s Brooklyn pizzeria, Salvatore Lo Duca said he discovered that bromated flour in his thin-crust pies contained a suspected carcinogen already banned in much of the world.

Associated Press

In the back kitchen of Lo Duca Pizza, the 39-year-old began tweaking the original recipe handed down by his parents, and he said, “When we started playing around with a different flour, I actually took a liking to it.”

Lo Duca’s change came as the bill passed by state lawmakers and awaiting Hochul’s signature divided dough makers, with fears that even a minor change could have “dramatic implications for the city’s most iconic foods.”

Scott Wiener, a pizza historian who leads tours of notable slice shops, said, “This is an earth-shaking event for New York pizza,” adding that “That ingredient is part of the identity of the slice.”

Wiener estimated that around 80% of pizza and bagel shops rely on a flour that contains the oxidizing agent, which reduces rest time for dough and helps ensure a stronger, chewier product.

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Jesse Spellman, the second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, said, “You could achieve that same bagel texture, but it’s a lot more work and it’s going to be a lot more expensive,” as he adjusted his family recipe by experimenting with yeast concentrations and rise time.

Erik Millstone, a professor of science policy at the University of Sussex focused on the health impact of chemicals in food, said, “From a consumer’s point of view, there’s nothing good about potassium bromate,” and he pointed to studies showing it can cause cancer in laboratory animals even in “perfectly reasonable” doses.

The additive is already outlawed across the European Union, China, India, Canada and— as of next year—California, and the AP reported that a spokesperson for Hochul said she will review the bill.

“A man pays for pizza at Lo Duca Pizza, May 12, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York”

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If the legislation passes, businesses would have a one-year grace period to continue using the additive, plus additional time to go through unexpired bags.

Wiener argued that moving away from bromated flour could improve quality, saying, “Without such a fast turnaround for dough production, you’re going to get more well-fermented doughs, which is going to lead to lighter pizzas that are easier to eat.”

Outside New York, the AP reported that Mario Mangilia, the owner of DoughBoyz in Florida, posted “Pizza in Florida is officially better than pizza in New York,” but after being confronted by prominent pizza accounts over health concerns, he replied, “I’ll test some different flour out to check it out.”