General Chat

Just a thought, would this mould allergy be related to a penicillin type allergy?/reaction.... Bob

Thanks for the Delia tip..........LOL hee hee didnt know about the butter!!! will try that next time.... Bob

Jellyhead, I was reading this thread in amazement until I came to your post. Hear hear. Elaine, Making pancakes isn't baking - you just whizz the ingredients in a blender then cook a couple of spoonfuls at a time in a pan on the hob. It is so easy, and much more rewarding than making up a mix. Give it another go! Liz x

Jellyhead !! lol I wholley agree, it would be better to make from scratch ... BUT ... I can NOT bake, no matter how much practice I get, I just do not have baking hands. I'll build a wall, but don't ask me to bake a cake ... pmsl.. Therefore, I do not stock baking ingredients. Thus, I would have to spend an absolute fortune on ingredients that I probably wouldn't use again for another year ... just so we could have a few pancakes !! False economy for this house I'm afraid. We do eat freshly cooked meat and veg every night, so its not like I use the microwave every night ! :-)) sometimes do !! ... and I cheat on Pancake day !! and the Yorkshire puds are 3 mins in oven !!! Elaine ;-) the builder not baker !

Pancake MIX??!! Can there be any easier food to make? Here is one of Delia's recipes For the pancake mixture: 110g/4oz plain flour pinch of salt 2 eggs 200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water 50g/2oz butter Start eating real food!! Jellyhead ;o)

There's a little bit more on www.snopes(.)com - the Urban Myths site. I won't put it all here, but here are what I would say are the important bits to note: There is truth in this tale. Yet its inherent warning is overblown. The cause of his death was determined to be anaphylaxis due to an allergic reaction to molds. There was a death, and it had been due to ancient pancake mix. Or, rather, to an allergic reaction to the mold that had grown in the stale pancake mix. It needs be kept in mind there is nothing inherently toxic about pancake mix that has passed its freshness date, the product's getting old does not transform it into a poison, nor does the growth of mold within opened boxes of flapjack powder turn it into something that will fell all who ingest it. 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. 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.

That is top advice. My daughter loves Pancakes. Always asks me for them. I never check the dates from the supermarket, just assume they are ok. But I assume you had one in your cupboard for a while. Does make you think though. I'm so so glad your son is ok, you must have been very worried. Thankyou so much for this advice. I will def check the dates when I next buy it and look in my cupboards for packets I have had a while. thanks again catherine xx

use pancake mix for yorkshire puds! bare in mind you have Use By dates (milk, eggs, meat etc) and Best Before dates (tinned foods) A tin of spam from the war should still be edable if you really wanted to eat it!

1 Packet - sell by Dec 05 ... in bin ! 5 packets ... sell by Nov 2006. Guess we'll be eating quite a few pancakes over the next month or so !! Elaine ;-)

Sue, Thankyou for this. Am off to my cupboards, as I KNOW I have loads of Pancake mix. You may just have saved us from a very serious problem. I'll let you know. Elaine ;-)

thats good advice thanks for that, i never use out of date stuff just in case, but never knew this kind of thing happend

Subject: Fw: Pancake Mixes Interesting. More support to make stuff from scratch! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS. ESPECIALLY ALL YOU PANCAKE LOVERS. THANKS. 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. 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. Also, beware of outdated cake, brownie and cookie mixes. PASS IT ON!!!! Commentary: This 'Dear Abby' article was first published in various newspapers during April 2006 and is now circulating via email and online. Although the experience of the 14-year-old child described in the message has not been verified, the core information is factual. Mold that can form in old pancake mix and other foodstuffs can indeed cause a serious allergic reaction. As the message claims, in one documented case, a 19-year-old man died of anaphylaxis after eating pancakes made from an old pancake mix that contained mold. Thus, the warning is valid. Moreover, it should be noted that mold forms on many different types of food, not just pancake mix. As well as causing allergic reactions, mold can sometimes produce poisonous substances called 'mycotoxins,' that can cause illness. Also, 'root' threads of mould can penetrate deep into the food and may be difficult to see. Dangerous mold related substances might be present throughout the food, even when mold is only visible on the surface. Pancake mix and similar products that have been stored for some time should be thoroughly examined before use and consumers should take careful note of use-by dates. Since mould spores can be transported via air, water, or insects, this is especially true if the food has been stored in a non-airtight container or a packet that has been previously opened. Mix that seems a little dubious should be discarded, as the risk of allergic reactions or illness is not worth the few cents saved. Also, if food seems to have an unexpected or unusual taste (or if children complain that it 'tastes funny'), consumers should thoroughly re-examine the food before eating any more.

My Aunt in Canada just sent me this. Don't know if it's a myth or not, but still very worrying. Sue xx