Fw : snopes.com: Pancake Mix and Allergic Reaction

[Guest guest]

I never gave this much thought that dry pancake mix or cake mix would develop

toxic mold spores and cause harm...a cautionary tale for all.

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> Objet: snopes.com: Pancake Mix and Allergic Reaction

> À: " ginloi " <ginloi@...>

> Date: Lundi 31 Août 2009, 19h11

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>  http://www.snopes.com:80/medical/toxins/pancake.asp

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[Guest guest]

I can see that happening. The flour is already moldy as we know as stored grain

and then add the eggs and sugar, etc., and let it sit for a couple years. I

started going through my pantry and throwing out expired dates a few years ago

when I saw a friend do it. Now I check every once in awhile and when date is

nearing, I either serve it, or put it in a bag that goes to a charity food bank

here, so someone gets to eat it before the date expires.

>

> I never gave this much thought that dry pancake mix or cake mix would develop

toxic mold spores and cause harm...a cautionary tale for all.

>

>

[Guest guest]

What makes pancake mix more vulnerable than cake mix, may be that pancake mix is

open and used a little at a time, but cake mix stays sealed until you open it

and use the whole thing. But it probably isn't a good idea to keep cake mix

beyond expired date either.

>

> I never gave this much thought that dry pancake mix or cake mix would develop

toxic mold spores and cause harm...a cautionary tale for all.

>

[Guest guest]

I write all this, as I have been told some of what I post can scare people.

I do not intend to scare anyone. Just provide information so a more fully

informed decision can be made, where such has a better chance of being

the correct decision for your personal situation.

So, if any thing I wrote " scared " you, then please post your questions, or

email me privately. I will reply on list, but will make your worded

question(s)

entirely anonymous.

It's complex. I can not make it any simpler, as it's not.

At 04:40 AM 9/1/2009, barb1283 wrote:

>What makes pancake mix more vulnerable than cake mix, may be that

>pancake mix is open and used a little at a time, but cake mix stays

>sealed until you open it and use the whole thing. But it probably

>isn't a good idea to keep cake mix beyond expired date either.

All flour, of any type, will have mold spores it in. These get

during many stages of production.

The hulling of grain where the covering is moldy puts spores into the air.

The grinding of the grain exposes the resulting flour to the air, and

all air has spores in it. The filling of the box/bag is the same.

Also, even without spores, mold can form spontaneously if enough of the

right molecules come together, well, not molecules, but mold by products,

parts of the mold body itself. So, even a spore free production will have

the flour go bad, eventually.

Everything organic goes moldy, one day, one year. It's the life cycle.

Also, bug eggs can hatch, and fill the bag with bugs. I know. Ugh.

My entire cupboard had a bug all over.

Now, that does not mean to stop eating flour. Though I would advise you to,

if you want to get healthier, faster, as refined food, particularly

flour, will give

you a false energy for several hours, and then drop you down. So, if flour

products are your primary daily energy needs, eating flour with each meal,

your digestion will never become healthy, your immune system, the part

based upon the digestive system creating certain immune cells, will not

perform to par, and your immune system will be partially weakened, in

a particular way, and hamper your full recovery.

Flour is just fine to eat, spores and mold byproducts, and bug eggs and all.

Why? Your family ancestors have been doing it so long, that the digestive

system has mutated to handle it. Also, if not for the increased germ level

in flour, your immune system would not be able to handle so much so very

well, and you'd get sick more often.

--

About expiration dates, it's typical to set them, on average, for

many products,

ymmv, to the " half life " of the product, meaning when the nutritional value

has reduced by aging over time, to half of the original nutrient content.

Eating food within a week or two of buying will ALWAYS be best for

nutrient value

and most bang for your dollar. Refining food, like flour, reduces

nutrients by 50%

almost immediately. Thus, flour is an undense nutrient compared to the grain

itself. Less bang for your dollar. You will fatten on such. The

older the flour

the more you will fatten, as the less nutrients are there, and your appetite

will increase, you will eat more, to make up for it, thus you eat

more calories,

that convert to fat, and get stored as fat, and your belly goes round

like mine.

Or some part of the body, depending on your body type, and ailment(s), will

gain weight. I gain weight around my middle due to an adrenal gland/system

impact. When I support my adrenal system with supplements, I lose weight.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Pete but I did not ask a question. The 'what' was a retorical statement.

i.e. 'what may cause pancake batter to go bad more often than cake mix...', is

that we don't use it all up after we open it like we do cake, cookie and brownie

mixes even though they have similar ingredients.

> >What makes pancake mix more vulnerable than cake mix, may be that

> >pancake mix is open and used a little at a time, but cake mix stays

> >sealed until you open it and use the whole thing. But it probably

> >isn't a good idea to keep cake mix beyond expired date either.

>

[Guest guest]

How right you are Barb. Most mixes are formulated with inert ingredients which

absorb moisture to prevent caking in the box. A secondary benefit is that makes

relative humidity in the box very low, such that the mold spores naturally

present grow very slowly. Once a mix is opened to the atmosphere, the water

absorbancy capacity of the dessicant is soon reached, humidity rises, the

product clumps, and mold can now grow. You might notice that a powdered mix open

for a while gets lumpy from absorbing water vapor. That might be a good sign its

time to discard the product.

Re: Fw : snopes.com: Pancake Mix and Allergic Reaction

Posted by: " barb1283 " barb1283@... barb1283

Date: Tue Sep 1, 2009 4:40 am ((PDT))

What makes pancake mix more vulnerable than cake mix, may be that pancake mix is

open and used a little at a time, but cake mix stays sealed until you open it

and use the whole thing. But it probably isn't a good idea to keep cake mix

beyond expired date either.

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[Guest guest]

That sounds like a very good idea to me.

don't know if this would help minimize mold, but I always keep flour in

the freezer. If there's no room then, in

[Guest guest]

I don't know if this would help minimize mold, but I always keep flour in the

freezer. If there's no room then, in the refrigerator.

--- On Tue, 9/1/09, <pete-@...> wrote

All flour, of any type, will have mold spores it in. These get

during many stages of production.

The hulling of grain where the covering is moldy puts spores into the air.

The grinding of the grain exposes the resulting flour to the air, and

all air has spores in it. The filling of the box/bag is the same.