Dough Conditioners – Bad Ingredients to Avoid in Bread

Know your dough: Dough Conditioners

When choosing bread, watch out for dough conditioners like azodicarbonamide (ADA), L-cysteine, and DATEM. These additives are commonly used in commercial bread to speed up production, improve texture, and extend shelf life—but at a cost to your health.

Azodicarbonamide (ADA) – Banned in Europe and Australia, this chemical is also used in yoga mats and shoe soles. It breaks down into compounds linked to respiratory issues and allergic reactions.

L-cysteine – Often derived from human hair or duck feathers, this amino acid is used to soften dough. Not exactly an appetizing thought.

DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides) – A mouthful to say and a red flag on labels. It’s used to strengthen gluten but may be linked to heart inflammation.

Why Avoid Them?

• These additives aren’t necessary in real bread.
• Many have health concerns linked to allergies, inflammation, and digestion issues.
• They’re a shortcut for mass production, but they don’t belong in wholesome food.

What to Look for Instead?
Choose bread with simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and natural leavening (like sourdough starter).

Stone house is the best organic sourdough bread.  At Stone House Bread, we never use artificial dough conditioners .  Our real slow-fermented sourdough is made the traditional way—for better taste, better digestion, and better health.

Real bread. Real ingredients. Because you deserve better.