Attorney General James Uthmeier launched an investigation on Monday into the distribution and disclosure of food products containing potassium bromate, issuing a civil subpoena to General Mills Inc. and General Mills Operations LLC.
The investigation is being conducted under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and focuses on products sold in Florida, including commercial flour that may have been supplied to bakeries, food-service companies and schools.
Potassium bromate is used as a flour improver and dough conditioner in some bakery products. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies the substance as possibly carcinogenic to humans, and several countries have banned its use as a food additive because of health concerns, including evidence of tumors in animal studies.
“This investigation is about protecting Florida families and providing transparency to our consumers,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Floridians have a right to know what is in the food they buy and feed their children.”
The subpoena seeks records identifying General Mills products containing potassium bromate that were sold in Florida from 2023 through 2026. The products named include Pillsbury Potentate High Gluten Flour, Pillsbury Best Bakers Patent Flour, Gold Medal All Aces Bakery Flour and Gold Medal Superlative Bakers Flour, all sold in 50-pound bulk sacks.
Uthmeier’s office is also requesting information about the company’s largest Florida purchasers, disclosures provided to buyers and research related to the ingredient’s potential effects on human health.
Investigators are separately seeking records showing whether the products were sold to Florida schools serving students from prekindergarten through 12th grade.
The subpoena does not amount to a finding that General Mills violated state law. It requires the company to produce documents that could help the attorney general’s office determine how bromated flour moved through Florida’s food supply chain and whether purchasers received adequate information about the ingredient.
The investigation could lead to additional subpoenas, enforcement action or no further action, depending on what the records show.
