NEW YORK CITY — New York state lawmakers passed a bill banning the additive potassium bromate from flour used in pizza and bagel production, sending the measure to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature. A spokesperson for Hochul said she would review the bill.

If signed, businesses will have a one-year grace period to continue using potassium bromate, plus additional time to use unexpired bags. The additive is already outlawed in the European Union, China, India, and Canada, and will be banned in California as of next year. Studies dating to the 1980s have shown that potassium bromate can cause cancer in laboratory animals even at reasonable doses.

Around 80% of pizza and bagel shops rely on a flour containing potassium bromate, which reduces dough rest time and produces a stronger, chewier product. Neighborhood slice shops rely on All Trumps flour from General Mills, a standard ingredient since the city's first grab-and-go pizza parlors opened nearly a century ago. General Mills sells an unbromated flour at roughly the same price as its bromated version, while other alternatives are more expensive. Many of New York's newer and artisanal pizzerias market their use of unbromated flour.

"This is an earth-shaking event for New York pizza," said Scott Wiener, a pizza historian. "That ingredient is part of the identity of the slice."

Jesse Spellman, the second-generation owner of Utopia Bagels, has been adjusting his family's bagel recipe by experimenting with yeast concentrations and rise time. "You could achieve that same bagel texture, but it's a lot more work and it's going to be a lot more expensive," he said.

Erik Millstone, professor of science policy at the University of Sussex, addressed the trade-off between texture and health. "Most well-informed people would prioritize a long healthy life over a slightly softer and more soluble bun," he said.