Senator Schumer Calls on FDA to Ban Bread Chemical

Schumer’s urging follows an announcement last week by Subway that it was removing azodicarbonamide from its bread.

February 11, 2014

ALBANY – Following an announcement last week by QSR chain Subway that it was voluntarily removing azodicarbonamide from its bread, New York Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to ban the chemical, the Associated Press reports.

Subway’s move followed a petition initiated by a blogger against the chemical, which has been linked to asthma. When it is heated, it forms trace amounts of semicarbazide, a known carcinogen that can cause tumors in humans.

Schumer said azodicarbonamide is primarily used to make rubbery products such as yoga mats and shoe rubber. He said it is banned in several countries yet many QSRs in the U.S. use it to condition their bread dough.

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