Well, I heard that a while back (from a respected source) and took it to heart. Except under dire circumstances, I have not purchased a loaf of bread with calcium sulfate in it since. It hasn't been easy either, because almost ALL store bought breads have this stuff in it, even the 100% whole wheat breads I used to rely on. Aside from the one brand of 100% whole wheat bread I know of, I buy my bread from a local whole grain bakery for a tidy sum, or I make it myself.

Well, today I confirmed the rumor: according to my Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winters, M.S. on page 104, calcium sulfate is indeed Plaster of Paris. That's right folks, good ol' P of P....remember that stuff? Do YOU really want that cement junk in YOUR body? Sometimes, labels don't come right out and name calcium sulfate; instead they refer to it as a "dough conditioner" or "yeast nutrient."

Calcium sulfate isn't the only ingredient in store bought bread that merits deep consideration. What about ammonium sulfate? A salt, this substance doubles as a neutralizer in permanent wave lotions. It is also used industrially to fireproof fabrics. Rats were killed when fed high doses, yet the FDA has categorized it as "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS). Potassium iodate is sometimes found in bread, even though the FDA has not yet done a toxicology literature search on it yet. Look, and I'm sure you'll find other questionable ingredients that don't appear in any cookbook you've ever seen.