A chemical compound used as a bleaching and maturing agent in flour production.
From French agène, derived from Greek a- (without) + genesis (generation), referring to its chemical action in whitening grain products without fermentation.
Agene was widely used in baking from the 1920s until the 1950s when it was discovered to produce toxic residues in bread—a stark reminder of how 'chemical progress' can hide dangerous side effects until rigorous testing reveals them.
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