Why Are “Yoga Mat Chemicals” Still in Our Bread? The Shocking Reality of American Loaves

Fiber King
3 min readOct 25, 2024

Imagine taking a bite of your morning toast, only to realize it shares an ingredient with your yoga mat. Sounds ridiculous? It’s not. Welcome to the curious world of American bread-making, where chemicals banned overseas still manage to make their way onto our plates.

The “Yoga Mat” Additive: Azodicarbonamide (ADA)

Azodicarbonamide (ADA) may sound like a complicated science experiment, but you might know it as the “yoga mat chemical.” It’s used to bleach and condition dough, creating the fluffy texture we expect in store-bought bread. It’s also a common ingredient in vinyl and foams — yep, the same stuff found in yoga mats and shoe soles. The compound breaks down during baking into potentially risky byproducts like semicarbazide and urethane, which are associated with asthma and cancer risks in lab animals.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found ADA in almost 500 food products, from Wonder Bread to Pillsbury Dinner Rolls. Some major chains like Subway and Nature’s Own have phased it out after backlash from a petition led by Vani Hari, also known as the “Food Babe.” Yet ADA is still allowed by the FDA in bread at levels up to 45 parts per million — far less comforting when you know its industrial origins.

Potassium Bromate: The Rising Agent Banned Abroad

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Fiber King
Fiber King

Written by Fiber King

Dietary Fiber Advocate | Fitness Enthusiast | Researcher Passionate about health, wellness & uncovering the truth as a dedicated content creator. Entrepreneur

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