How a new law could change New York’s pizzas and bagels
A bill passed by New York lawmakers would ban potassium bromate, an additive used in some flour to speed dough production for pizza and bagels, and it now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature, with the industry weighing how much the change could affect cost and product quality.
The measure comes as at least some bakers are already experimenting. Salvatore Lo Duca, who runs Lo Duca Pizza in Brooklyn, said he made changes after discovering that a flour component in his thin-crust pies contained potassium bromate, which he described as a suspected carcinogen already banned in much of the world. He later adjusted his recipe with a different flour and said he took “a liking to it,” while acknowledging it was “a little more expensive” than the prior ingredient.
Lo Duca’s comments reflect a broader question facing pizza and bagel shops across New York: whether eliminating the additive would still allow bakers to reproduce signature textures that many customers associate with New York-style foods. In this debate, some shop owners and industry figures argue the additive helps dough rise and bake with fewer delays, while others contend it is a health risk and that taste can be maintained through different techniques and longer processing time.
Scott Wiener, a pizza historian who leads tours of notable slice shops, said the additive plays a role in pizza identity. Wiener estimated that about 80% of pizza and bagel shops rely on flour containing potassium bromate, saying the ingredient reduces rest time for dough and helps ensure a stronger, chewier product. He argued that “That ingredient is part of the identity of the slice” and warned that changes could ripple through how shops prepare dough.
Other bakers focused on how difficult texture changes could be without the additive’s effects. Jesse Spellman, a second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, said customers might still be able to get similar results but that it would take “a lot more work” and “it’s going to be a lot more expensive.” Spellman said he and other bakers are already experimenting ahead of any possible ban, including by adjusting yeast concentrations and rise time, and added that “It’s going to take some time to get a product that we’re happy with.”
Supporters of the ban argue that potassium bromate is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Erik Millstone, a professor of science policy at the University of Sussex who studies health impacts of chemicals in food, said, “From a consumer’s point of view, there’s nothing good about potassium bromate.” He said studies going back to the 1980s show the additive can cause cancer in laboratory animals, even in what he called “perfectly reasonable” doses.
Millstone also argued that consumers would likely prefer reducing health risks rather than preserving certain culinary attributes. He said, “Most well-informed people would prioritize a long healthy life over a slightly softer and more soluble bun.” Industry discussions meanwhile have pointed to the availability of “unbromated” flour at some celebrated pizzerias, even as neighborhood shops continue to rely heavily on bromated flour options.
Wiener linked the widespread use of potassium bromate in New York’s pizza and bagel supply chain to historic flour offerings, including a General Mills product called All Trumps that has been used since the city’s early grab-and-go pizza era. He said General Mills now sells an unbromated flour at roughly the same price, while other alternatives can cost more. Even so, Wiener said he believes the shift could improve pizza quality overall, saying that without fast dough turnaround, bakers may get more well-fermented doughs and produce lighter pizzas that are easier to eat.
If Hochul signs the bill, businesses would get a one-year grace period to continue using the additive and additional time to use up unexpired bags, according to the reporting. A spokesperson for Hochul said the governor will review the bill. In the meantime, the possibility of a ban has also drawn attention beyond New York, including comments posted online by pizza shop owners in other states.
In an Instagram post, Mario Mangilia, owner of DoughBoyz in Florida, said “Pizza in Florida is officially better than pizza in New York” and added that “my grandfather would haunt me” if the shop changed its dough recipe. After prominent pizza accounts challenged his position on potassium bromate, Mangilia said he would test different flour to evaluate the change.