Yoga mat particles in our food!? That’s how the additive azodicarbonamide (ADA) made a splash on the news a while ago—it’s also used to make rubber. Some countries and now food producers are pulling the ingredient from formulas. Still, the FDA gives ADA a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, and up to 45 ppms can be added to flour.
The facts: Whether you decided to remove ADA from your label or not is up to you. Either way, it’s good to be informed, or for your consumers to know about it. So, the quick and dirty version:
What it is: a whitening agent and dough conditioner.
Why it’s popular: ADA-treated flours produce more cohesive doughs than chlorine dioxide-treated flours. And the final product comes out with a higher loaf volume, and better texture and overall appearance.
How is it made?
Dihydrazine sulfate and urea are reacted under higher pressure and high temperature. The result is mixed with sodium chlorate and oxidized, then centrifuged. Azodicarbonamide is extracted from the resulting slurry, washed, and drained.
How does it work? Find out!
