alt Hacker News>Some older flare formulations also had things such as pitch, asphalt, wax, tallow, potassium chlorate and black powder. Those are not likely to be part of modern flare formulations.
Most of the formulations in the table have charcoal, potassium nitrate or other oxidiser, and sulfur. Surely, to say they don't contain black powder is semantics, when they contain the ingredients of black powder?
You can look at pasta and bread the same way.
Potassium perchlorate and powdered aluminum can be used to make flash powder. Just because road flare contains both doesn't mean it's going to explode in your hand.