Additive
Azodicarbonamide
Flour whitener and dough conditioner used in some breads.
Limited concern · Limited evidence
Breaks down during baking into small amounts of compounds linked to cancer in animals; not permitted in EU foods.
Worth knowing; no urgent action implied.
Reviewed Oct 2, 2026
Evidence and sources
Azodicarbonamide breaks down in baking into semicarbazide and can raise levels of urethane, which IARC classifies as probably carcinogenic (Group 2A). It isn't permitted as a food additive in the EU. EFSA concluded that semicarbazide at the levels found in food is not a cancer concern. In May 2026 FDA began reassessing azodicarbonamide.
The cancer concern is about trace breakdown products, not the additive itself. The amount here isn't declared.
Limited evidence · Presence only; amount unknown · General population
- FDA Finalizes Food Chemical Safety Post-Market Assessment Program, Launches Reassessment of BHT, ADA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- EFSA publishes further evaluation on semicarbazide in food, European Food Safety Authority