Potassium bromate is a chemical substance often used as a flour treatment agent to strengthen dough and improve the texture of baked goods. It is also found in some cosmetics and as a laboratory reagent. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, has classified potassium bromate as Group 2B, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. This classification is based on studies in animals that showed an increased risk of cancer, though evidence in humans is limited. Because of this, many countries regulate or restrict its use in food products to reduce potential health risks. While it is not banned everywhere, consumers may see it listed in ingredient labels on breads or pastries. This summary draws on public regulatory data; the linked source is authoritative.
Potassium bromate is a chemical substance that is banned from use in cosmetic products sold in the European Union. It is listed in Annex II of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, which means it cannot be added to any cosmetic formulation. This substance is sometimes used as a flour improver in baking, but in cosmetics it is prohibited because of safety concerns. The European Union's scientific committee has determined that potassium bromate may pose risks to human health, and it is classified as a potential carcinogen by international bodies. Because of these risks, regulators have decided it should not be present in products like lotions, soaps, or makeup. The ban helps ensure that cosmetics sold in the EU are safe for consumers. This summary draws on public regulatory data; the linked source is authoritative.
Data: Open Food Facts community, openfoodfacts.org (CC BY-SA 3.0). Values are typical per-100g manufacturer declarations and may vary by batch. Informational only — not dietary advice.
IARC carcinogen (1)
Potassium bromate CAS 7758-01-2 ⭕☠❗🩺(Danger)+12HPubChem
potassium bromate CAS 7758-01-2 ⭕☠❗🩺(Danger)+12HPubChem
potassium,sodium 2,4-diamino-3-[4-(2-sulfonatoethoxysulfonyl)phenylazo]-5-[4-(2-sulfonatoethoxysulfonyl)-2-sulfonatophenylazo]-benzenesulfonate CAS 187026-95-5
sodium, potassium, lithium 5-amino-3,6-bis(5-(4-chloro-6-(methyl-(2-methylaminoacetyl)amino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)-2-sulfonatophenylazo)-4-hydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulfonate CAS 205764-96-1
GHS hazard classifications and PubChem CIDs from NIH PubChem (NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine, public domain). Hover any pictogram for its meaning.
🔍 What we found about this product
A factual report of what public registries and product databases returned for this EAN. We do not authenticate products or issue safety verdicts — we only report what we found.
Identifier checks
📋 EAN format: the GTIN-13 mod-10 checksum is consistent with the GS1 standard (format check only; does not authenticate the physical product)
📋 GS1 prefix 003 indicates the issuing office in United States / Canada (this is the country where the brand owner registered the EAN; it is not necessarily where the product was manufactured. Source: GS1 country code list)
📋 Brand entries found: no entry for El in the Wikidata brand registry (our coverage of Wikidata is partial; absence is not a finding either way)
📋 Listed in 1 of the public product catalogue we check: Open Food Facts (catalogue presence only; the listing itself does not authenticate the product)
Registry scans
📋 Recall registry scan returned 0 matches (sources scanned: CPSC, FDA, RAPEX, Health Canada, NHTSA. Coverage gaps exist; we cannot speak to records outside these registries)
📋 Substance database scan returned 61 name matches with H-codes / regulated-substance entries (see substances section. This is a name match against label/ingredient text only; it does not confirm batch presence)
📋 Banned-ingredient scan (EU Cosmetic Annex II) returned 1 name match: Potassium bromate (source: EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annex II. Name match against label text only; does not confirm batch presence)
📋 Certifications listed in our databases: none found (registries scanned: EU Ecolabel, US ENERGY STAR, US EPA Safer Choice. Many legitimate products are not enrolled in these schemes)
📋 Medical device registry: not listed in US FDA GUDID or EU EUDAMED (most consumer products are not medical devices and would not be expected to appear)
Sources scanned: GS1 country prefix · Wikidata brand registry · Open Beauty / Food Facts · USDA FDC Branded Foods · Nudger GTIN dataset · EU Safety Gate (RAPEX) · US CPSC · US FDA recalls · Health Canada Recalls · NHTSA recalls · ECHA SVHC · REACH Annex XVII · EU RoHS · Stockholm POPs · CLP Annex VI · EU Cosmetic Annex II · EU Ecolabel · US ENERGY STAR · US EPA Safer Choice · US FDA GUDID · EU EUDAMED. Last refreshed: .
About this section. We aggregated what we found across 24 public registries and product databases as of . This is not an authentication, certification, or safety endorsement. Coverage gaps in our source data exist. For definitive verification, please contact the manufacturer or the relevant regulator directly.
Disclaimer. Substance and ingredient information is matched against public government registries (cited above) and may be incomplete or imprecise for a specific batch. This page is informational only and does not constitute medical, legal, or safety advice. For health concerns consult a qualified specialist. For confirmed product safety status refer to the manufacturer and the linked regulatory source.
Provenance
Last updated: . See About for the full source list.