E927 - Azodicarbonamide

Joe Fowler
Author: Joe Fowler Time for reading: ~3 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022
E927 - Azodicarbonamide

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)



E 927 is a crystalline powder that has no odor, but has a color ranging from light yellow to red-orange.

Characteristic

Azodicarbonamide,  azobisformamide  or E 927 is a chemical compound that is used as a dietary supplement to whiten and extend the shelf life of bread. E 927 is a crystalline powder that has no odor, but has a color ranging from light yellow to red-orange. Popular fast food chains use this supplement in their bakery products - baguettes, rolls, rolls, croissants, croutons and more. The Food and Drug Administration claims that azodicarbonamide can be used safely as an additive E 927 at levels up to 45 ppm as a dough improver and bleaching ingredient. It is also used as a blowing agent in the production of plastic seals in metal caps, which close glass jars.

Use

The additive E 927 is used to make the bread whiter by reacting with the carotene in the flour. Improves the strength of the dough and its ability to retain gas, making the bread more elastic. The use of azodicarbonamide as a bleaching agent and dough improver is not mandatory for the preparation of bread and has alternative ingredients approved for use.

Foods that contain azodicarbonamide include rolls, pretzels, English muffins, croutons, sesame seeds, croissants, sandwiches, pastries, rice, chewing gum, flour, cereals and more.

The main use of azodicarbonamide is in the production of foam plastic as an additive. Thermal decomposition of
E 927 results in the evolution of nitrogen, carbon oxides, carbon dioxide and ammonia gases, which are trapped in the polymer
as bubbles and form a foamed product.

Azodicarbonamide, which is used in plastics and artificial leather, can be pure or modified. The pure usually reacts at about 200 degrees. In the plastics, leather and other industries, the modified has an average decomposition temperature of 170 degrees. It contains additives that accelerate the reaction or react at lower temperatures.

Azodicarbonamide, as a blowing agent in plastics, has been banned in Europe since August 2005 for the production of plastic
products intended for direct contact with food.

Contraindications

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), E 927 can cause symptoms such as eye or nose irritation, allergies and asthma. In
some cases, a very sensitive skin reaction. These symptoms mainly occur in some people who work in places where
azodicarbonamide is produced or processed raw. Available data are limited to these work environments.

In the UK, the Executive Director of Health and Safety identified azodicarbonamide as a respiratory sensitiser (a possible cause of asthma) and determined that the packaging should be labeled "May cause sensitization by inhalation". Azodicarbonamide, as an added ingredient in food, must be indicated on the product label under the name "azodicarbonamide", "ADA" or "E927".

Two suspicious chemicals are formed when baking bread with azodicarbonamide. One of the breakdown products is semicarbazide, which causes cancer of the lungs and blood vessels in mice, but poses a negligible risk to humans. The second breakdown product is urethane, which is a recognized carcinogen. When azodicarbonamide is used at its maximum level, it results in slightly elevated levels of urethane in bread, which pose little risk to humans.

Due to concerns about the safety and effects of the compound on the human body, on February 10, 2014, it was proposed by US Senator Charles Schumer to ban the use of the supplement E927 in food. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) guidelines on food safety and health for corporations allow the use of azodicarbonamide, which is widely recognized as a safe supplement. In the United States, azodicarbonamide is allowed to be added to flours at levels up to 45 ppm. In Australia and Europe, the use of azodicarbonamide as a dietary supplement is banned, and if you use it in Singapore, you will receive up to 15 years in prison and a fine of almost half a million dollars.

 
 

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