Azodicarbonamide
Also known as: ADCA, ACA, ADA
Leavening Agents
Safety rating
Avoid
Eat Away!Generally SafeUse SparinglyAvoid
Purpose and Function
Azodicarbonamide (ADA) is a synthetic dough conditioner and flour treatment agent used to improve bread texture and volume, acting as a leavening agent by releasing gas when heated, and as a flour whitening/bleaching agent.
Commonly found in
- —Bread and baked goods (dough conditioner)
Key functions
- —Strengthens and conditions dough
- —Releases gas for leavening
- —Bleaches/whitens flour
Potential Risks and Side Effects
- 01Breaks down when heated into semicarbazide (SEM, shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals) and urethane (a known carcinogen)
- 02Also used in foamed plastics (yoga mats, shoe soles); powdered-form exposure linked to respiratory issues in workers who handle it
- 03Banned as a food additive in the European Union, Australia, and several other countries; still permitted within limits by the FDA in the US