You may have heard of Vani Hari, also know as the Food Babe. She started a petition to get Subway to eliminate azodicarbonamide, also known as ADA, from their bread. ADA is a chemical foaming agent which is mixed into polymer gels to make plastics that are spongy, strong and light such as yoga mats and flip-flops. ADA is also used in breads and many baked goods as a dough conditioner. It makes breads fluffier and makes shipping and storing of these breads easier.
Subway was targeted over McDonalds, Wendy’s, Starbuck’s, and most other chains who also use this chemical agent in their breads and baked goods because Vani says that Subway promotes their foods as being healthier. If you like Subway, the good new is that they took this petition seriously and have removed this chemical agent from their breads.
The FDA approved ADA as a food additive in 1962. They say that it is not known to be toxic to people in the amounts approved by the FDA. I guess that would also depend on how many breads and baked goods you are eating as to whether you were consuming to much or not. Workers who handle large volumes of ADA have reported respiratory problems and skin sensitivities. ADA is not approved for use in food in Australia or the European Union.
Although the FDA has allowed this chemical to be added to food, many companies are now trying to find alternatives to this chemical by using real foods that are not synthetic or just another chemical no one knows anything about yet.
We have been ingesting this chemical for over 50 years now and some people would say that it hasn’t caused them any problems. Can you be sure about that? With ADA plus all the other chemical and synthetic additives to our foods, how do we know that some of the cancers and other diseases are not a direct result of these chemicals? I for one, have a hard time with the thought of eating the same product that goes into my yoga mat or flip-flops. It just wasn’t meant to be.
The link below tells more about ADA, but at the bottom of the article is a list of 500 foods that contain ADA. It is listed by the brand name and the product. I am sure this is just a small list but you may want to check it out to see if anything you consume regularly is on the list. Also, be sure to check the ingredient list for azodicarbonamide or ADA the next time you purchase a bread or baked good product.