Does all purpose flour go bad?

Karen Brewer Vickers
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3 Comments

Gammy June 28, 2020
All purpose flour is pretty shelf stable, especially compared to whole wheat, but any flour can gradually go bad. Smell your flour. Fresh flour has a neutral odor, bad flour smells off — it can be stale, musty, or almost sour, it can become discolored. If flour has come into contact with water or moisture, large clumps of mold may appear. Also even fresh flour may contain insect eggs that over time can hatch, causing bugs to appear.
 
Nancy June 28, 2020
Agree with Gammy. Rarely does A-P flour go bad, but if yes, those are common causes.
 
Nancy June 28, 2020
Almost never, but it can happen.
Do you ask because you've seen worrying signs of bugs or similar?
 
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