FLORIDA – Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a civil subpoena to General Mills Inc. and General Mills Operations LLC as part of an inquiry under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act into the supply chain for products containing potassium bromate sold in Florida.
Uthmeier said the probe is intended to protect Florida families and increase transparency for consumers. He said Floridians “have a right to know what is in the food they buy and feed their children,” and that the office is examining whether potassium bromate is present in products sold across the state, what disclosures were made to purchasers, and what research exists about the chemical’s health effects.
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Potassium bromate is used as a flour improver and dough conditioner in some bakery flours. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
Because of health concerns, including tumor evidence in animal studies, the compound has been banned as a food additive in the European Union, Canada, China, India, and several other countries, including Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, and Peru.
The subpoena seeks documents showing which General Mills products containing potassium bromate reached Florida consumers and schools. It requests records on all such products sold to purchasers in Florida — including Pillsbury Potentate High Gluten Flour, Pillsbury Best Bakers Patent Flour, Gold Medal All Aces Bakery Flour, and Gold Medal Superlative Bakers Flour in 50-pound bulk sacks — as well as the top purchasers of those products in Florida from 2023 through 2026.
The subpoena also requests any disclosures provided to purchasers or to downstream users of goods made from those products, research regarding the use of potassium bromate in General Mills products and its safety implications, and records of sales to Florida schools, pre-K through 12.
The attorney general’s office said the action underscores Uthmeier’s commitment to enforcing Florida’s consumer protection laws, ensuring transparency in the food supply chain and safeguarding public health.