danger in outdated mixes- Dear Abby

[Relic]

By Abigail Van Buren
Thu Apr 13, 8:08 PM ET



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 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.

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My husband, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, heated up some water, and we had my son lean over the water so the steam could clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular and his lips returned to a more normal color.

We checked the date on the box of pancake mix and, to my dismay, found it was very outdated.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 the ability to search through 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just that, and found an article the next day that mentioned a 19-year-old male DYING after eating pancakes made with outdated mix.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 at the number of people who mentioned that they should check their own pancake mix 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 sizes of pancake mix, I hope your readers will take the time to check the expiration date on their boxes. -- SUE IN WYANTSKILL, N.Y.

DEAR SUE: Thank you for the warning. I certainly was not aware that pancake mix could turn moldy and cause an allergic reaction in someone with an allergy to mold -- but it's logical. I wonder if the same holds true for cake mix, brownie mix and cookie mix. If so, then a warning should be placed on the box for people like me.

We hear so often about discarding prescription and over-the-counter medications after their expiration dates, but I don't recall warnings about packaged items in the pantry. Heads up, folks


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I don't know about the steam treatment for an allergy- but the allergy pill was probably the life saver!
I wish she'd indicated WHICH mix, but the priniciple is clear- if it tastes funny and is OLD throw it out!

 

[summerthyme]

I think the moral of THIS story isn't so much not to use outdated mixes, but to NOT eat food which "tastes funny"!!!

For crying out loud, for it to have been moldy enough for the flavor to have come through in the cooked pancakes, presumably with butter and syrup on them.. it was pretty bad.

Also, since this was "in her pantry", it was probably open.. a totally different deal from "outdated" mixes still sealed in their packaging, which generally has BHT added as a preservative.

Summerthyme

 

[barb43]

Think you hit the nail on the head with your comments, summerthyme. If something doesn't taste right to one person around the table, i don't think much of it -- figure it's the one person having a cold or "off" day of some sort (and my answer is , "ok - don't eat it"); but if it smells funny, or looks different (consistency), to me while i'm preparing it, or the finished product tastes funny to everyone, or at least 2 out of 3, then we're gonna stop eating right then!

The "but ate them anyway" is the part that is shocking to me.

 

[summerthyme]

barb...

The "but ate them anyway" is the part that is shocking to me.

not to me.... I raised four boys through the "hollow leg" teenage stage!!! LOL!

But yes, I agree... if one of my normally non-picky eaters said something "didn't taste right", I'd immediately smell and taste it myself. Sometimes a bit of common sense can be lifesaving....

Summerthyme

 

[Hansa44]

Sometimes all it takes is one person out of hundreds to notice a taste is off. I know this for a fact. The warning was ignored and hundreds came down with food poisoning.

 

[data junkie]

I keep my pancake mix in the fridge. I guess that with this article on mold, it's worth the mention as a tip.

 

[Freeholder]

Actually, even if only one person thinks something tastes funny, you should be careful. Some people have much more sensitive taste or smell than others, so they might be the first to catch the problem (I can always smell milk going off before anyone else in the family can.)

Kathleen

 

[dabom]

Beware, old pancake mix can turn toxic

will freezing the mix first, take care of this problem?


April 14, 2006, 6:32AM
DEAR ABBY
Beware, old pancake mix can turn toxic

By ABBY
Universal Press Syndicate

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 they tasted "funny" but ate them anyway. About 10 minutes later, he 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 could clear his chest and sinuses. Soon, his breathing became more regular, and his lips returned to a more normal color.

We checked the date on the box of pancake mix and, to my dismay, found it was very outdated. As a librarian at an academic institution, I have the ability to search through 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 at the number of people who mentioned that they should check their own pancake mix, 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 sizes of pancake mix, I hope your readers will take the time to check the expiration date on their boxes.

-SUE in Wyantskill, N.Y.

Dear Sue:

Thank you for the warning. I certainly was not aware that pancake mix could turn moldy and cause an allergic reaction in someone with an allergy to mold — but it's logical. I wonder if the same holds true for cake mix, brownie mix and cookie mix. If so, then a warning should be placed on the box for people like me.

We hear so often about discarding prescription and over-the-counter medications after their expiration dates, but I don't recall warnings about packaged items in the pantry. Heads up, folks!

www.DearAbby.com

DEAR ABBY
P.O. Box 69440
Los Angeles, CA 90069

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/3792756.html

 

[barb43]

Dup of this thread:
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=193640

 

[A.T.Hagan]

<strong>Apparently, the mold that forms in old pancake mix can be toxic!</strong>

The problem isn't that the pancake mix was outdated, the problem is that it was MOLDY. This speaks of poor storage. It could have been within its use by date and still dangerous to eat. If there was enough moisture in the mix for mold to be able to grow I'm surprised that the leavening wasn't flat.

I'm afraid I'm not impressed with this reference librarian's research abilities.

.....Alan.

 

[Hermit]

I've noticed that pancake mix doesn't last all that long, must be something in it that tends to pull moisture out of the air. It's probably better to make your own when you're having pancakes for a meal, it's so easy to mix up. The only advantage to the mix is that it has the egg in it already so you don't need a fresh egg.

And let's face facts the mix is loaded with all sorts of chemicals.

 

[TECH32]

summerthyme,

I agree, this is about storage. We've used pancake mix that was litterally years beyond the "best if used by date" without any problems. We buy them in two-packs from BJs which are wrapped in plastic and inside that the boxes are sealed. These two-packs are stored in a dry place with a fairly constant temperature. Never had a problem...

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Threads merged.

.....Alan.

 

[Plasmid]

I think Dear Abby should have gotten an opinion from a food science professonal before printing the story. I recall reading that pancake mix contains some fat and therefore it can go rancid after a time, but don't ever recall seeing a warning that it could become toxic.

Sounds urban legendey in a way, atho the kid probably did have the episode as described.

All grain products are subject to mold formation given time and humidity, of course.

 

[tangent]

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Dec;95(6):612-4. Related Articles, Links

Systemic anaphylaxis after the ingestion of pancake contaminated with the storage mite Blomia freemani.

Wen DC, Shyur SD, Ho CM, Chiang YC, Huang LH, Lin MT, Yang HC, Liang PH.

Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Systemic anaphylaxis after the ingestion of mite-contaminated food has rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE: To describe an 8-year-old boy in whom systemic anaphylaxis developed shortly after the ingestion of pancakes prepared with commercial pancake flour. METHODS: The patient underwent skin prick testing for house dust mites and with uncontaminated and mite-contaminated pancake flour. Specific IgE for mites and the main ingredients of the pancake flour were also evaluated, with titers for Der p 1, Der f 1, and Blo t 5 quantitated using immunochemical methods. A sample of pancake flour was examined microscopically for mites. RESULTS: The patient had positive skin prick test results to contaminated pancake flour extract (1 g/5 mL), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Dermatophagoides farinae but a negative skin test response to uncontaminated pancake flour. The patient's serum specific IgE analysis was positive for antibodies to dust and storage mite allergens. There was no response, however, to the main ingredients of the pancake mix. Microscopic examination of the pancake flour revealed the storage mite Blomia freemani. Using an immunochemical assay, we found that the contaminated flour contained 5.4 microg/g of the allergen Blo t 5 but no Der p 1 or Der f 1. CONCLUSIONS: This patient's anaphylactic episode was the result of ingestion of the storage mite B. freemani. To our knowledge, this is the first reported systemic hypersensitivity reaction caused by this mite anywhere in the world.

Publication Types:

* Case Reports


PMID: 16400904 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]




Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2001 Sep;22(3):292-5. Related Articles, Links
Click here to read
An unusual case of anaphylaxis. Mold in pancake mix.

Bennett AT, Collins KA.

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Forensic Section Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.

Anaphylactic reactions involve contact with an antigen that evokes an immune reaction that is harmful. This type of reaction is a rapidly developing immunologic reaction termed a type I hypersensitivity reaction. The antigen complexes with an IgE antibody that is bound to mast cells and basophils in a previously sensitized individual. Upon re-exposure, vasoactive and spasmogenic substances are released that act on vessels and smooth muscle. The reaction can be local or systemic and may be fatal. The authors report the death of a 19-year-old white male who had a history of "multiple allergies," including pets, molds, and penicillin. One morning, he and his friends made pancakes with a packaged mix that had been opened and in the cabinet for approximately 2 years. The friends stopped eating the pancakes because they said that they tasted like "rubbing alcohol." The decedent continued to eat the pancakes and suddenly became short of breath. He was taken to a nearby clinic, where he became unresponsive and died. At autopsy, laryngeal edema and hyperinflated lungs with mucous plugging were identified. Microscopically, edema and numerous degranulating mast cells were identified in the larynx. The smaller airways contained mucus, and findings of chronic asthma were noted. Serum tryptase was elevated at 14.0 ng/ml. The pancake mix was analyzed and found to contain a total mold count of 700/g of mix as follows: Penicillium, Fusarium, Mucor, and Aspergillus. Witness statements indicate that the decedent ate two pancakes; thus he consumed an approximate mold count of 21,000. The decedent had a history of allergies to molds and penicillin, and thus was allergic to the molds in the pancake mix. The authors present this unusual case of anaphylaxis and a review of the literature.

Publication Types:

* Case Reports


PMID: 11563743 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

-t

 

[Wise Owl]

I make my own from scratch since my hubby got gout from a packaged mix once....it had animal fat in it......(beef fat). We do not use beef, pork or shellfish and try our best to keep those items out of the house......whenever he eats something that gets it (gout) flaring up I go on a major hunt to figure out that caused it.........so that said, if the mix had animal fat in it, (some do) then yes it could go rancid......fresh from scratch pancakes are easy to do and only take about 5 mins to put together and definitely better tasting.......