AVOID OLD PANCAKE MIX - Can be Life Threatening

zkalan

Tue, Jun 06 2006, 2:45 pm

Just got this email and thought I should let everyone know.

This is true; I checked it with snopes.....
http://www.snopes.com/medical/.....e.asp

DEAR ABBY:

I recently made a batch of pancakes for my healthy 14-year-old son, using a mix that was in our pantry. He said that they tasted "funny," but ate them anyway. About 10 minutes later, he& nbsp; began having difficulty breathing and his lips began turning purple. I gave him his allergy pill, had him sit on the sofa and told him to relax. He was wheezing while inhaling and exhaling. My husband, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, heated up some water and we had my son lean over the water so the steam couldn’t bsp; clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular and his lips returned to a more normal color. We then thought to check the date on the box of pancake mix and, to my dismay, found it was very outdated. As a reference librarian at an academic institution, I have access to many research databases. I did just that, and found an article the next day that mentioned a 19-year-old male DYING after eating pancakes made with outdated mix! Apparently, the mold that forms in old pancake mix can be toxic! When we told our friends about my son's close call, we were surprised ed at the number of people who mentioned that they should check their own pancake mixes since they don't use it often, or they had purchased it some time ago. With so many people shopping at warehouse-type stores and buying large quantities, I hope your readers will take the time to check the expiration dates on their boxes. Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes. PASS IT ON!!!!

chocolate moose

Tue, Jun 06 2006, 4:20 pm

wiht duncan hines going milchig lots of people have stockpiled them.

food doesn't last forever.

willow

Tue, Jun 06 2006, 4:44 pm

If you read the entire link you will see it is not as dire of a situation as it sounds. Not that I am endorsing keeping old mixes but you need to read the whole link.

queen ↓

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 1:55 am

zkalan wrote:

Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes........

I still have about 4 dozen boxes of Duncan Heinse!!!!! Help

chavamom

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 2:23 am

Quote:

Only those who have allergies to mold are at risk, and even then, for the pancake mix to pose a hazard it has to contain mold spores, not just be over the hill.

technic

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 3:37 am

queen wrote:

zkalan wrote:

Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes........

I still have about 4 dozen boxes of Duncan Heinse!!!!! Help

ud better start baking then!!! Twisted Evil

JEWISHMAMA

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 4:17 am

queen wrote:

zkalan wrote:

Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes........

I still have about 4 dozen boxes of Duncan Heinse!!!!! Help

I have no problem helping u eat them! Very Happy

elisecohen

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 6:41 am

Please read the whole Snopes reference though--while it's true the caveat is that it doesn't affect 99% of the population anyhow, and it's nothing new; just an age old reality that food goes bad over time. Also, they are specific that they're dealing with a package that was opened and then left sitting around long-term, not one that was sealed until use (thus minimizing moisture exposure). Here's the end of the Snopes article for reference:

What does all this mean? If you don't have a mold allergy, you needn't fear your pancake mix; if you do have such a sensitivity, you shouldn't keep your flapjack makings around for a few years after opening the box or pouch it came in. It's not worth dying over 50¢ worth of pancake mix, so when in doubt, throw it out.

Barbara "better to pitch the crepe than to hang it" Mikkelson

Last updated: 19 April 2006

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/medical/.....e.asp

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by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson
This material may not be reproduced without permission.

↑ queen ↓

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 9:08 am

technic wrote:

queen wrote:

zkalan wrote:

Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes........

I still have about 4 dozen boxes of Duncan Heinse!!!!! Help

ud better start baking then!!! Twisted Evil

I am!!! Don't even ask how many dozen we started off with before they went milchig embarrassed

↑ queen

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 9:09 am

JEWISHMAMA wrote:

queen wrote:

zkalan wrote:

Also beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes........

I still have about 4 dozen boxes of Duncan Heinse!!!!! Help

I have no problem helping u eat them! Very Happy

you can have your choice. Would you like checkerboard cake? Chocolate triple cream trifle.... or good old fashioned regular cake?? Very Happy

Yael

Wed, Jun 07 2006, 10:23 am

you can bake them and freeze, at least they'll last longer.
though it doesnt seem as though you have anything to worry about based on on the fact that its only a problem if you have an allergy.

how about putting the mixes in the freezer? Confused