The director of the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Comsumidor) issued a call on Wednesday afternoon for residents to check for potassium bromate when buying imported bread. The ingredient is illegal in the European Union, Canada, Brazil and the DR after it was found to cause cancer in rats and mice, but is legal in the United States.
Altagracia Paulino, director of Pro Consumidor, the government consumer protection agency, warned “consumers not to buy it, nor to consume it.”
Paulino was reacting to a complaint made by the Union of Medium and Small Flower Industries regarding bread being imported with the ingredient.
She explained that on Thursday there was a meeting of Pro Consumidor with the Ministry of Public Health to decide on the actions that would be taken regarding the sale of these items locally.