Potassium bromate

Potassium bromate is an inorganic salt, KBrO₃, and a strong oxidizing agent. It was formerly used to strengthen bread dough and remains subject to food-safety restrictions because it can pose health risks.

Oxidizing agent: A substance that accepts electrons from another substance, causing that substance to be oxidized. Potassium bromate accepts electrons in reactions used for chemical processing and dough treatment.
Bread improver: An ingredient added to flour or dough to alter breadmaking performance or product quality. Potassium bromate was used as an oxidizing bread improver to strengthen dough.
International Agency for Research on Cancer: A World Health Organization agency that evaluates evidence on the causes of cancer. IARC classifies potassium bromate as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Ascorbic acid: A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin that can act as a dough-strengthening improver during baking. It is a widely used alternative to bromate for strengthening dough.
Ionic compound: A substance composed of positively and negatively charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction. Potassium bromate forms a crystal lattice of potassium and bromate ions.
Redox reaction: A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons between substances. Bromate’s useful reactions depend on electron transfer as it is reduced.
Flour treatment agent: A substance added to flour to modify its baking properties or processing behavior. Bromate was added during flour treatment to improve dough handling and loaf volume.
Carcinogen: An agent capable of causing cancer in humans or other organisms. Potassium bromate’s cancer hazard drives restrictions on its use in food.
Azodicarbonamide: A chemical dough conditioner used in some countries to improve flour’s baking properties. It serves a related flour-treatment role but has different chemistry and regulatory status.
Potassium: A soft, highly reactive alkali metal with atomic number 19. Potassium supplies the K⁺ ion in potassium bromate.

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Bromic acidBroader topic: It supplies bromate in reactions where free bromic acid is difficult to handle.