Azodicarbonamide E927a
oxidizing agent — Primarily synthetic.
Azodicarbonamide
CAS: 123-77-3
Factual Regulatory Reference
This database provides factual regulatory information compiled from official government sources. It does not constitute medical, nutritional, or safety advice. Regulatory status varies by country and is subject to change. Always refer to your local regulatory authority for the most current information.
? Did You Know?
Beyond food, Azodicarbonamide is also used in industrial applications, household products. Its versatility makes it one of the most multi-purpose chemical compounds in everyday life.
Regulatory opinions differ: Azodicarbonamide is approved in USA, CANADA but banned in EU, JAPAN. This reflects different risk assessment philosophies between regions.
Regulatory Analysis
The azodicarbonamide saga illustrates how public perception and industrial optics can drive regulatory outcomes independently of toxicological evidence. The 2014 'yoga mat chemical' controversy forced Subway and other manufacturers to reformulate not because new safety data emerged, but because consumer awareness of a shared industrial-food use created reputational risk. The actual regulatory science centers on semicarbazide, a thermal decomposition product classified as a possible carcinogen, where the EU applied precautionary prohibition while the FDA maintained that residue levels in finished bread fall below thresholds of concern -- a disagreement rooted in differing comfort levels with metabolite exposure rather than the parent compound itself.
Detailed Regulatory Assessment
European Union (EFSA)
Not permitted
United States (FDA)
Maximum 45 ppm in flour
Japan (MHLW)
Not permitted
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)
International Standard (JECFA)
mg/kg body weight per day
European Standard (EFSA)
Everyday Perspective
For a 60kg adult, this limit is roughly equivalent to consuming:
Natural Occurrence
This additive is not known to occur naturally in significant quantities.
Manufacturing
Synthesized by oxidation of biurea or by reaction of hydrazine with phosgene and ammonia.
Applications Beyond Food
Foaming agent for plastics, yoga mats, shoe soles, synthetic leather
Used in manufacturing yoga mats and flip-flops!