E927a Azodicarbonamide (ADA)

E927aFlour treatment agentsOrigin: Lab-made

Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Gluten-freeNo

Only used in wheat flour.

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoNo

Found in bread.

Low-FODMAPNo

Found in wheat bread, which is high-FODMAP.

The short answer

Azodicarbonamide (ADA, E927a) is a dough conditioner that's banned in the EU but still legal in US bread. Baking turns some of it into semicarbazide, a possible carcinogen, so it's one to avoid.

30/100

Best to avoid

Controversial, restricted or banned somewhere.

E-numberE927a

Comes fromLab-made

What it doesFlour treatment agents

Glycemic index—

Daily limitNot set

Also calledAzodicarbonamide, ADA

Bread without azodicarbonamide

Clean-label swaps

Clean grocery swap

Organic sandwich bread

Certified organic bread can't use ADA.

Shop organic bread Opens your country’s Amazon store

Clean substitute

Unbleached, unbromated bread flour

For baking at home without dough conditioners.

Shop unbleached bread flour Opens your country’s Amazon store

Kitchen tool

Bread machine

Fresh loaves with ingredients you choose.

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Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved with limits

🇪🇺 European UnionBanned

🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved with limits

CaliforniaNo extra rules

Allowed in the US and Canada at up to 45 parts per million in flour. Not allowed in food in the EU, the UK or Australia, and the EU also bans it in plastics that touch food.

Daily limit: No safe daily amount has been set.

What is it?

ADA whitens flour and strengthens dough so it holds up on fast bakery lines. When bread bakes, it breaks down into semicarbazide and urethane, which is why most big US sandwich chains dropped it after 2014.

Where it comes from: A lab-made chemical, the same one used to puff foam plastics such as yoga mats and shoe soles.

Why it’s in food

Strengthens dough for machine handling
Whitens flour quickly
Makes bread springier and lighter
Replaces slower natural aging of flour

Often found in

Sandwich bread and bunsBagelsPizza doughHamburger rollsFrozen doughSome fast-food breads

Also listed as: Azodicarbonamide, ADA, Azobisformamide, Azodicarboxamide, Diazenedicarboxamide

Health & gut impact

Breakdown productsConcern

Baking turns part of it into semicarbazide, which caused tumors in mice at high doses, and urethane, a probable carcinogen.

WHO, Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 16 (1999)

AsthmaConcern

Workers who handle the powder can develop asthma and skin allergies, which is why the UK lists it as a respiratory sensitizer.

WHO, Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 16 (1999)

What can I use instead?

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Ratio: To label

Best for: Dough strengthening

Unbleached, unbromated flour

Ratio: 1:1

Best for: Home and artisan bread

Azodicarbonamide vs Potassium Bromate

More flour treatment agents:

Benzoyl peroxide E928Benzoyl peroxide (E928) bleaches flour white overnight. It's legal in the US and Canada but banned in the EU, and it destroys some of the vitamin E in flour. It's not on the label in most cases.Use in moderation L-Cysteine E920L-cysteine (E920) softens dough in bagels and pizza crust. It's often made from duck feathers or pig hair, so it's only reliably vegan or halal when certified.Use in moderation Potassium Bromate E924Potassium bromate (E924) is a dough strengthener banned in the EU, UK and Canada because it causes cancer in animals. It's still legal in the US; look for "bromated flour."Best to avoid

Common questions

Is Azodicarbonamide safe?

Best to avoid (30/100). Allowed in the US and Canada at up to 45 parts per million in flour. Not allowed in food in the EU, the UK or Australia, and the EU also bans it in plastics that touch food.

Is Azodicarbonamide vegan?

Yes.

Is Azodicarbonamide gluten-free?

No. Only used in wheat flour.

Is azodicarbonamide really in yoga mats?

Yes, it's used to make foam plastics. Being in a yoga mat doesn't make it harmful in food, but its breakdown products in baked bread are a real concern.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

21 CFR 172.806 (US FDA)
EFSA OpenFoodTox: E927a
WHO, Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 16 (1999)

Last checked against FDA, EFSA and Health Canada records: November 1, 2026 · INS 927a · CAS 123-77-3