Published: 09:45 EDT, 28 February 2014 | Updated: 13:31 EDT, 5 March 2014
A chemical used to make yoga mats has been found in almost 500 food items, according to a study released this week.
The compound azodicarbonamide (ADA) is typically used in bread products to bleach flour and make the dough stronger while keeping it light and spongy.
The additive is also an ingredient of shoe rubber and attic insulation, according to research released on Thursday by The Environmental Working Group (EWG).
ADA features in foods made by at least 130 American brands including Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, Pillsbury, White Castle, Marie Calledar's and Country Hearth.
What's on your plate? A chemical called azodicarbonamide (ADA) which is used to make yoga mats (left) has also been found in close to 500 food products including many 'healthy' breads, salad croutons and fruit strudels (right)
Most of the items which contain ADA are bread, pre-made sandwiches, croutons and snacks.
According to EWG, the synthetic additive has not been a problem for the federal Food and Drug Administration - because the low levels of 45 parts per million are not known to be toxic.
However a study by the World Health Organization showed that when handed in large quantities, the chemical causes respiratory problems including asthma and skin sensitization.
ADA has not undergone extensive testing for its long-term affects on health.
According to FoodBabe, who has campaigned against the use of ADA in foods, when the chemical partially degrades with the heat of processing, it can form trace amounts of semicarbazide, which shows carcinogenicity and also has been shown to cause tumors.
Subway last month announced that it was removing the ingredient Azodicarbonamide (ADA) as part of an ongoing effort to improve recipes in the U.S. (it was not being used in sandwiches in the UK, much of Europe and Australia where the additive is banned).
Subway founder Fred DeLuca (pictured) announced last month that ADA was being removed from breads used to make their sandwiches in the U.S.
According to Environmental Working Group , each product on the list below includes ADA:
Aladdin Bakers: Jumbo Bagels (Cinnamon Raisin) America's Choice: Muffin Sandwiches (Turkey, Sausage, Egg & Cheese) Amigos: Tortillas Archer Farms: Simply Balanced 100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns Arnold: Bakery Light 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Wheat Sandwich Rolls Artichoke Basilles Pizza Co : Margherita Pizza Artisan Fresh: Jumbo Wheat Hoagie Aunt Hattie's: Onion Buns/ Potato Hamburger Enriched Buns Aunt Millie's: Honey & Hamburger Buns/ Whole Grain Bread Bagel-Fuls : Bagel Filled With Cream Cheese, Original Baker's Treat: Big Texas Cheese Roll Pastries Ball Park: Flame Grilled Barbeque Chicken Slider/ Flame Grilled Beef Sliders/ Flame Grilled Cheese Burger Sliders/ Hot Dog Buns Bell's : Traditional Stuffing Betty Crocker: Pasta Caesar Salad/ Suddenly Pasta Salad, Caesar Big Az : Cheeseburger Bimbo : Bread Crumbs/ Double Fiber Bread/ Large Wheat Bread/ Sabor Chocolate/ Toasted Bread Toasted Bread, Original Bon Appetit : Apple Danish/ Blueberry Cream Pastry/ Cheese & Berries Danish/ Cheese Croissant/ Super Cinnamon Roll Bridgford : Cinnamon Pull-Apart Monkey Bread/ Ready-Dough Frozen White Bread Dough Brownberry: Chicago Hot Dog Rolls/ Kaiser Sandwich Buns / Sandwich Buns, Onion/ Sausage Rolls, Original Bunny : Hot Dog Buns
Butternut: 1/2 Loaf White Enriched Bread/ All Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Brown' N Serve Enriched Rolls/ Deluxe Buns/ Enriched Burger Buns, Sliced/ Enriched Hot Dog Buns, Sliced Hearty Rye Bread/ Honey Wheat Bread/ Italian Bread/ Large Enriched Bread/ Sliced Buns, Seeded Whole Grain White Bread/ Whole Wheat Bread Castillo : Castillo Croissants Centrella: Hot Dog Buns, Enriched/ Restaurant Style Caesar Crotons Chef M.J. Brando: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Cheddar/ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Swiss Clear Value : White Bread Cloverhill: Apple Danish Cole's: Cheesesticks/ Garlic Mini Loaf Connella : Bread Crumbs Corfu Foods Inc: Hand Made Pita Country Hearth: Dakota Style 12 Grain Bread/ Hearty Homestyle 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Hearty Homestyle Honey Grain 'n Oat Bread/ Split Top Wheat Bread/ Split Top White Bread D'italiano : Italian Bread Day'n Night Bites: Country Sausage Muffin With Egg'n Cheese Drake's: Danish Pastries Cheese Earthgrains: Honey Wheat Berry Bread/ Sliced French Premium Bread/ Wheat Rolls Entenmann's: Raspberry Danish Essential Everyday: 5 Cheese Texas Toast/ Garlic Bread/ Garlic Bread Sticks/ Garlic Texas Toast European Bakers: Onion Rolls/ White Sub Rolls Farm Rich : French Toast Sticks, Cinnamon Sprinkle/ French Toast Sticks, Original Fiber One: Hamburger Buns/ Hot Dog Buns
Fleischmann's : Simply Homemade Baking Mix, Pretzel Creations/ Simply Homemade No Knead Bread Mix, Country White/ Simply Homemade No Knead Bread Mix, Italian Herb/ Simply Homemade No Knead Bread Mix, Multi-Grain Food Club: Caesar Restaurant Style Croutons/ Garlic Cheesesticks/ Garlic Dinner Rolls/ Seasoned Restaurant Style Croutons/ Strawberry Strudel/ Stuffing Classics Cornbread Stuffing Mix/ Texas Toast, 3 Cheese/ Texas Toast, Garlic/ French Toast Sticks/ Garlic Bread Sticks/ Texas Toast, 3 Cheese Freihofer's: White Bread Fresh Gourmet: Premium Croutons, Butter & Garlic/ Premium Croutons, Cheese & Garlic Premium Croutons, Classic Caesar /Premium Croutons, Garden Herb/ Premium Croutons, Italian Seasoned/ Premium Croutons, Parmesan Ranch Furlani: Garlic Bread/ Multi Grain Garlic Toast/ Parmesan Garlic Toast/ Texas Toast, Garlic Texas Toast, Pizza/ Texas Toast, Three Cheese Gateway: Soft Rye Bread Gimbo : Conchas Fine Pastry Gollo: Galletas De Huevo (Eggs Crackers) Gonnella: Sandwich Rolls Great Value: Honey Buns/ Hot Dog Buns/ Wheat Sandwhich Bread Grissom's: Hot Dog Sliced Enriched Buns Harvest Pride: Awesome Rolls/ Seeded Italian Bread/ Texas Toast Bread/ Wheat Bread White Enriched Bread Hauswald's: Enriched Bread / Split Top Wheat Bread Healthy Life: 100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread, Flaxseed/ 100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread, Sugar Free/ 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins/ 100% Whole Wheat Whole Grain Bread/ High Fiber White Bread/ Hot Dog Buns, Whole Grain/ Italian Bread/ Light English Muffins/ Light Multigrain English Muffins/ Soft Style 100% Whole Grain Bread Hearth Of Texas Bread Company: 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Enriched Large White Bread Extra Thin White Bread/ Split Top Wheat Bread/ Whole Grain White Bread Honey : Hot Dog Buns Hormel: Country Crock Homestyle Stuffing Hungry-Man: Roasted Carved White Meat Turkey Ihop: French Toast Breakfast Sandwich, Egg, Canadian Bacon & Cheese/ French Toast Breakfast Sandwich, Maple Sausage, Egg & Cheese J. Skinner : Cinnamon Craver's Roll J.C. Potter: Sausage On A Bun J.J. Cassone : 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls/ Enriched Vienna Rolls/ Italian Bread/ Sliced Hero Rolls/ Sliced Sandwich Rolls/ Wheat Bran Sandwich Rolls
Jimmy Dean: Delights Honey Wheat Flatbread, Bacon, Egg & Cheese/ Delights Honey Wheat Flatbread, Turkey Sausage, Egg & Cheese/ French Toast Griddlers/ Muffin, Sausage, Egg & Cheese/ Sausage, Egg & Cheese On A Muffin/ Turkey Sausages Egg White & Cheese Whole Grain Bagel Joseph Campione: Authentic Hearth Baked Garlic Bread/ Bread Sticks, Garlic/ Cheese Stuffed Bread Sticks/ Dinner Rolls, Parmesan Garlic/ Garlic Bread, Authentic Hearth Baked/ Garlic Mini Loaf Texas Toast, 5 Cheese/ Texas Toast, Garlic/ Texas Toast, Parmesan Key Food: Seeded Rye European Hearth Bread, Deli Style/ Seedless Rye European Hearth Bread, Deli Style Kid Cuisine: Kc's Campfire Hot Dog Kroger: White Enriched Bread/ White Hamburger Enriched Buns L'oven Fresh : Split Top Wheat Bread Lakeland: Hot Dog Buns Enriched/ White Enriched Sandwich Bread Lewis: Healthy Life Wheat Hot Dog Buns/ Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns Liberty Hearth: New York Deli Kaiser Rolls, Poppy Little Debbie: Cheese Danish Classic Pastry/ Cinnamon Rolls With Icing/ Cream Cheese Danish Pastry/ Danish Pastry, Cherry Cheese/ Honey Buns Maglio: Stromboli, Philly Style Steak & Cheese Manischewitz: Pumpernickel Bread Mariano's: 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Asiago Cheese Focaccia/ Bell Pepper Focaccia Muffins Breadstics/ Butterflake Rolls/ Cheese Pizza Bread/ Chefs Collection Italian Focaccia Half/ Cinnamon Raisin Bread Club Rolls/ Egg And Onion Brat Bun/ Egg Dinner Rolls/ English Muffin Bread/ Fresh Tomato Focaccia/ Garlic Bread/ Ham Swiss Sub/ Hamburger Buns/ Hard Rolls Hot Dog Buns/ Italian Bread/ Italian Specialty Bread By The Pound/ Jalapeno Cheddar Focaccia/ Jalapeno Cheddar Focaccia Muffins/ Kaiser Rolls/ Large Kaiser Rolls/ Marble Rye Bread/ Olive And Parmesan Chop Block Bread/ Onion Rye Specialty Bread/ Paisano Italiano Sandwich/ Parisian Chocolate Croissant/ Roast Beef & Cheddar Croissant/ Rotisserie Chicken Salad Croissant/ Rye Specialty Bread By The Pound/ Salami And Provolone Chop Block Bread/ Tomato Basil Chop Block Bread/ Walnut Raisin Specialty Bread/ Wheat Bread/ Wheat Club Rolls/ Wheat Dinner Rolls/ Wheat Hamburger Buns/ Wheat Hot Dog Buns/ White Bread/ Whole Wheat Specialty Bread Marie Callender's: Flaky Croissant With Ham & Swiss/ Flaky Croissant With Sausage, Egg & Monterey Jack/ Spaghetti With Meat Sauce Market Street: Butterflake Rolls Martin's: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Potato Bread/ Hoagie Rolls, Unseeded/ Long Roll, Potato Rolls/ Potato Bread, 100% Whole Wheat/ Potato Bread, Sandwich/ Potato Rolls/ Potatobred Soft Cubed Stuffing Marty's: Large Rolls Master: Hamburger Enriched Buns/ Hot Dog Enriched Buns Mckee: Cheese Danish With Icing/ Cinnamon Rolls Mediterranean Pita: Bread Met Foodmarkets Giant White Enriched Bread/ Hamburgers Enriched Buns/ Hot Dogs Enriched Buns Mother's: Giant Enriched White Bread/ Split Top Wheat Bread Mrs Baird's : Pastry Kitchen Cinnamon Rolls/ Cinnamon Rolls, Cherry/ Cinnamon Rolls, Original Mrs. Cubbison's: Butter & Garlic Croutons/ Corn Bread Stuffing, Seasoned/ Seasoned Croutons Mrs. Freshley's: Honey Buns Murry's: French Toast Bites, Cinnamon Blase New York: Bread Sticks With Real Garlic/ Hand-Tied Garlic Knots With Real Garlic/ Texas Toast, 5 Cheese/ Texas Toast, Garlic New York Deli : Kaiser Rolls, Plain Kaiser Rolls, Sesame Old Style: Cottage Potato Bread One Republic: Skinny Buns Oroweat : Raisin Cinnamon Bread Palagonia: 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls/ French Bread/ Italian Bread/ Mini Heros/ Panino Italiano/ Rolls/ Sliced Italina Bread Patriotic : Honey Buns Pelmen : Blueberry Perogies Peroguis Aux Bleuets Mushrooms Champigons/ Perogies, Cherry Perogies, Potato With Cheddar Cheese/ Perogies, Potato With Cottage Cheese/ Perogies, Potato With Spinach & Feta/ Perogies, Sauerkraut/ Perogies, Sauerkraut Mushrooms/ Perogies, Sweet Cottage Cheese Pillsbury: Artisan Dinner Rolls/ Artisan Pizza Crust With Whole Grain/ Breadsticks, Original Crusty French Loaf/ Italian Bread/ Pizza Crust, Thin Crust/ Toaster Scrambles, Cheese Sauce, Egg & Bacon/ Toaster Scrambles, Cheese Sauce, Egg & Sausage/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Apple Toaster Strudel Pastries, Apple Cream Danish/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Blueberry/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Boston Cream Pie/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Cinnamon With Brown Sugar/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Cream Cheese & Strawberry/ Toaster Strudel Pastries, Danish Style Cream Cheese Toaster Strudel Pastries, Strawberry Potmann's Select: Seasoned Croutons Rainbo: Thin Sliced White Bread Raybern's New York Deli Style : Raybern's New York Deli Style Philly Cheesesteak/ Roast Beef Cheddar Melt Rhodes: Cinnamon Rolls, Cream Cheese Frosting Roman Meal: 100% Whole Wheat Bread Rosa Bianca: Garlic Bread Rosen's: Sweet Hawaiian Rolls Roundy's: 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Blueberry Bagels/ Bratwurst Enriched Buns, Sliced/ Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bagel/ Croissant Sandwiches/ Croutons, Cheese & Garlic/ Croutons, Seasoned/ Deli Rye Bread, Seedless/ Enriched Hot Dog Buns/ Everything Bagels/ French Bread/ Garlic Bread, Original/ Garlic Bread, Parmesan/ Hamburger Enriched Buns Italian Sausage Tortelloni/ Meat & Fine Herbs Ravioli/ Muffin Sandwiches, Ham Egg And Cheese Muffin Sandwiches, Sausage, Egg & Cheese/ Plain Bagels/ Presliced Everything Bagels/ Quarter Pound Chicken Sandwich/ Select 9 Grain Bread/ Texas Toast, Garlic/ Texas Toast, Three Cheese/ Wheat Bread, Split Top/ Wheat Muffin Sandwiches, Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese White Enriched Bread/ White Enriched Sandwich Bread S.Rosen's: Black Bavarian Rye Bread/ Bohemian Style Rye Bread/ Brat & Sausage Rolls/ Enriched Hot Dog Buns/ French Rolls, Italian Beef Rolls/ Hawaiian Bread, Pineapple/ Kaiser Buns Marble Rye Swirled/ Multi Grain Bread/ Rye Bread/ Rye Bread, Caraway Seeds/ Rye Bread, Unseeded/ Wheat With Oat Bran Buns Safeway: Cornbread Stuffing Mix/ Five Cheese Garlic Toast Sara Lee : Blueberry Crumble Breakfast Bread/ Brown Sugar Cinnamon Breakfast Bread/ Center Split Deli Rolls, White/ Cinnamon Breakfast Bread With Raisins/ Cinnamon Raisin Bagels Cinnamon Rolls/ Classic Dinner Rolls/ Deluxe Bagels, Blueberry/ Deluxe Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin Deluxe Bagels, Plain/ Hearty & Delicious 100% Whole Wheat Deli Rolls/ Hearty & Delicious Center Split Deli Rolls, White/ Honey Wheat Bread/ Soft & Smooth 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Soft & Smooth 100% Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns/ Soft & Smooth Hamburger Buns, White/ Soft & Smooth Hot Dog Buns, White/ Soft & Smooth Wheat Hamburger Buns/ White Bread Schmidt : Enriched Bread/ Enriched Hamburger Rolls, Sliced/ Rye Bread/ Wheat Rolls/ Whole Grain White Bread Select Signatures Spicy Chicken Sliders Shoprite: Bangles Whole Wheat/ Cinnamon Bread/ Country White Bread/ Enriched Cinnamon Swirl Bread/ Enriched Honey Wheat Bread/ Enriched Light Hot Dog Rolls/ Enriched Light Wheat Bread/ Enriched Round Top White Bread/ Garlic Bread Sticks/ Garlic Dinner Rolls/ Hot Dog Rolls/ Italian Bread/ Onion Bagels/ Poppy Bagels/ Potato Hamburger Rolls/ Premium Bread/ Premium Bread With 100% Stone Ground Wheat/ Sandwich White Bread/ Sesame Bagels/ Sliced Hearth Baked Plain Bagels/ Split Top White Bread/ Swirl Rye Bread/ Texas Toast Garlic/ Wheat Bread Simplyaddwater: Premium Challah Bread Mix Smucker's: Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly Sandwich/ Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Grape Spread Sandwich, Reduced Sugar/ Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Rasperry Spread Sandwich/ Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwich/ Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Strawberry Spread Sandwich, Reduced Sugar Snacks: Iced Honey Buns Storehmann: Split Top Wheat Bread/ White Bread Sun-Maid: Raisin Bread, Cinnamon Swirl Sunbeam: Enriched Buns/ Grill'n Griddle Bread/ Hot Dog Buns/ Large, Enriched Bread/Texas Toast Enriched Bread, Thick Sliced Super Bread: Giant White Enriched Bread/ Hamburger Enriched Buns/ Honey Wheat Bread/ Hot Dog Enriched Buns/ Raisin Bread Tastykake : Glazed Honey Buns/ Honey Bun/ Iced Honey Buns The Bakery At Walmart: Glazed Yeast Donuts/ Jumbo Croissant Toufayan Bakeries: Bagels Blueberry/ Cinnamon Raisin/ Everything Bagels/ Mini Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin/ Mini Bagels, Plain/ Pre-Sliced Bagels, Whole Wheat/ Pre-Sliced Mini Bagels, Whole Wheat Turano : Brat & Sausage Rolls/ Extra Long French Bread/ French Rolls/ Gourmet Sandwich Rolls Italian Bread/ Kaiser Rolls/ Old Fashioned Italian Bread/ Soft Sub Rolls/ Wheat French Rolls/ Wheat Rolls Tuscan Garden: Caesar Gourmet Restaurant Style Croutons Tyson: Mini Chicken Sandwiches/ Mini Chicken Sandwiches With Cheddar Cheese/ Mini Grilled Chicken Sandwiches Unger's: Puff Pastry Shells Vachon: Carrot Cakes Valu Time: Wheat Bread White Enriched Bread Van De Kamp's : Enriched Hot Dog Buns Sliced Village Hearth: 100% Whole Wheat Bread/ Cottage Bread, Wheat/ Honey Wheat Bread/ Light 12 Grain Bread/ Light Italian Bread/ Light Wheat Bread/White Brat Buns Weight Watchers Smart Ones : English Muffin Sandwich, Canadian Style Bacon / English Muffin Sandwich, Egg Whites & Cheese/ Homestyle Turkey Breast With Stuffing White Castle: Cheeseburgers/ Microwavable Hamburgers White Rose : Stuffing Mix Wonder: Light Wheat Bread/ Potato Hot Dog Buns/ Texas Toast Bread
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