Azodicarbonamide (ADA) — Banned in Europe, Legal in US Food

Azodicarbonamide (ADA) is banned or restricted in EU, UK, Australia but remains legal in US food products. We found 10 products in our database that contain it.

10
Products Contain This
4
Countries Ban/Restrict
4
Known Health Risks
4
Safer Alternatives

What is Azodicarbonamide (ADA)?

Azodicarbonamide is used as a flour bleacher and dough conditioner in bread. It's the same chemical used to make yoga mats and shoe soles foamy. When baked, it can form semicarbazide, a potential carcinogen.

Also Known As

ADAE927aAzo(bis)formamideYoga mat chemical

Look for any of these names on ingredient labels — they all refer to Azodicarbonamide (ADA).

🚫 Banned/Restricted In

⚠️ US Status

Legal — FDA GRAS. Used in many commercial bread brands including Subway (removed in 2014 after public pressure).

Health Risks of Azodicarbonamide (ADA)

⚠️Respiratory sensitization (occupational asthma)
⚠️Forms semicarbazide when heated (potential carcinogen)
⚠️Urticaria
⚠️Linked to respiratory issues in factory workers

US Products Containing Azodicarbonamide (ADA)

These 10 products from our database contain Azodicarbonamide in their ingredient list:

#ProductBrandScore
1100% WHOLE WHEAT ROUND TOP BREAD, 100% WHOLE WHEATWal-Mart Stores, Inc.10/100
2Keto Snack MixKirkland Signature23/100
3Extra Fancy Salted Mixed NutsCostco34/100
4MIXED NUTSCostco Companies Inc.35/100
5Almond & Crandberry Nut BarsGreat Value, Walmart55/100
6SAM'S CHOICE, WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY MACADAMIA BLEND, RECIPE MIX INSWal-Mart Stores, Inc.68/100
7VANILLA MACADAMIA NUT SOFT BAKED PROTEIN MEAL ENERGY BARS, VANILLA MACADAMIA NUTAtkins Nutritionals, Inc.68/100
8Plain Whole Milk Greek YogurtSimply Nature88/100
9Shea butter hair maskMaui Moisture100/100
10"Ativador de Cachos Salon Line S.O.S Super Óleos NutritivoSalon Line100/100

Safer Alternatives to Azodicarbonamide (ADA)

✓ Ascorbic acid✓ Enzyme-based dough conditioners✓ Potassium iodate✓ Calcium peroxide

How to Avoid Azodicarbonamide

  1. Download CheckIt AI — scan any product with your phone camera, no barcode needed.
  2. Check the ingredients — look for any of its 4 alternate names: ADA, E927a, Azo(bis)formamide.
  3. Choose alternatives — opt for products using Ascorbic acid or Enzyme-based dough conditioners instead.
  4. Buy European brands — products made for the EU market won't contain Azodicarbonamide.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is azodicarbonamide the 'yoga mat chemical'?
Yes — azodicarbonamide is used both as a foaming agent in yoga mats and shoe soles AND as a dough conditioner in bread. Subway removed it from their bread in 2014 after the 'yoga mat chemical' controversy.

📊 Data Sources: Product data from our database of 26,000+ scanned products. Regulatory data from FDA, EFSA, Health Canada, FSANZ, and published research. Last updated: 2026-03-05.

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📋 Cite This Data
APACheckIt AI. (2026). "Azodicarbonamide (ADA): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (10 Products) | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/azodicarbonamide
MLA"Azodicarbonamide (ADA): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (10 Products) | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-05. https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/azodicarbonamide.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/azodicarbonamide">Azodicarbonamide (ADA): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (10 Products) | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026bannedineuropeazodicarbonamide, title = {Azodicarbonamide (ADA): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (10 Products) | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/azodicarbonamide}, note = {Retrieved 2026-03-05} }