Ewwww! Staple In Cake!!!!...

Decorating By cindww Updated 9 Jul 2006 , 3:50am by shrek

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cindww Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 12:18am
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Hey all..made my niece a flip-flop cake and as my brother was eating a slice, he found a manged staple in the cake part. I was absolutely mortified!!! Thank god he didn't eat it. I don't think I even own a friggin' stapler. How could this happen? I am so anal about anything falling or dropping into my cake batter as I am baking..I won't even open up the cupboards that are right above my counter area for fear that something will fall into the batter bowl. Do you think it could have been in the cake mix?? It was a white cake mix, can't remember which brand, but its the one that uses 1/3 cup of oil as opposed to the one that uses 2 Tbsp.
Thank goodness that noone swallowed it and also that it wasn't in the cake that I sold yesterday. Has anyone ever had a similar experience??

Cindy

22 replies
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leily Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 12:24am
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I can say I have had a simliar experience, except it wasn't a staple. It was a family cake and someone found a piece of tape in their cake. There wasn't even any tape near the cake/frosting while I was mixing it, and the tape on the board was underneath the board, and it was taped in a different room. So I still have no idea how it got in there.

As for the staple.... i have no idea where it came from. I would think it would be uncommon for it to be in the box mix (not improbable, just uncommon) as I am pretty sure most food manufactures have to send all their food products through some sort of metal detectors. Again not for sure, but I know that there are quite a few that are required too... don't know if cake mixes fall into the catagory.

So sorry this happened. Glad to hear no one ate it.

leily

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jmt1714 Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 2:40am
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a metal detector? Not sure where you heard that, but even if it were true, it wouldn't pick up a staple.

it is entirely possible it was in the cake mix.

Food manufacturers are allowed a certain amount "foreign" items like insect parts, rodent filth, etc etc.

there will always be a certain amount of contamination when using processed products.

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candy177 Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 2:51am
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I always sift my box mixes. Never found anything yet....but I find that it keeps the holes/tunnels smaller. icon_razz.gif

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ASupergirl Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 2:55am
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All right...I've been kinda of distant from here for awhile because I started working 3rd shift at a large commercial bakery and yes we do have metal detectors....IT IS REQUIRED!!!! We even have special band-aids that have metal in them in case one would fall off of your finger and manage it's way into the product. On top of that- the quality control is so sensitive it is checked every half hour to hour at max to make sure that things like that don't happen. Theorectically- the staple could have happen if the equipment that checks for metal wasn't being properly watched and maintained. The staple may have even been stuck to your cake mix box from who knows what. Numerous possibilities could have occured. But as long as the company was doing what they were suppose to do with the quality control equipment then I'm not sure. But let's all be thankful it wasn't in a cake that you sold for profit or the Health Deparment would shut you down in no time flat. I suggest totally cleaning down your kitchen - yes a ton of time- but it will hopefully insure that you find the source of the staple or at least rule out that there are anymore. But food manufacturing is a huge undertaking with strict policies- such as the metal detectors, special band-aids, and etc. THEY DO EXIST!! icon_smile.gif Otherwise we might have more problems than we all ready do. And people even come and bless the equipment with Holy Water to be Kosher certified...So even if someone does mess up at least you have the "protection" or whatever you want to call it to help watch over you- obviously someone did or you wouldn't be in business right now. GOOD LUCK!!!!

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leily Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 3:11am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmt1714

a metal detector? Not sure where you heard that, but even if it were true, it wouldn't pick up a staple.




I have heard this from the food plants that I work in. The company I work for provides custom stainless steel products to the food industry and we choose to follow the same strict guidelines as our customers do. Any products we make can not have any loos pieces of metal on them, and have to be sanitized before they get shipped to the customer, and then are sanitized again when they arrive. I have made at least 3 conveyors specificaly for metal detectors to sit on and process the products. And others in our company have made some too.

As for picking up a staple, the metal detectors can be set at different setting to pick up different amounts of metal. A few that I have worked around could pick up a piece of metal smaller than a grain of sand.

Just my 2c

Leily



edited for spelling/grammer mistakes

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rhondie Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 4:00am
post #7 of 23

very interesting!-rhondie

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twinsline7 Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 8:49pm
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ummmm......did you say someone "blesses the equipment" ????? icon_confused.gif

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Doug Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 9:35pm
post #9 of 23

re: food being Kosher and the inspection of food production facilities --

Kashrut

and

Kosher

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twinsline7 Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 10:45pm
post #10 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug

re: food being Kosher and the inspection of food production facilities --

Kashrut

and

Kosher





icon_eek.gif THATS TOO LONG TO READ!!! haha....can i just get the gest of it?? I briefly ran through it lost me at the draining blood title!! icon_confused.gif


so is this an actual thing that is done? where is it done.....sorry Im lazy!! icon_lol.gificon_lol.gif

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fmandds Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 11:00pm
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A friend of mine ran a bread shop and they had a rabbi come and watch over the making of the bread and blessing it. Thats the only way something can be certified kosher.

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karensjustdessert Posted 25 Jun 2006 , 11:29pm
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Cindy,
I'm so sorry this happened! Good luck with the investigation...and I thought all we had to worry about were the stray eggshell bits here and there.

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rwarren Posted 26 Jun 2006 , 1:55pm
post #13 of 23

Wow Cindy! Glad that you caught in in home baking.

Here when we buy bags of stuff in bulk, like sugar or oats, they are closed with a staple. I know you said you used a cake mix, but maybe you opened a bag at one time and the staple flew off and "disappeared" ?

just a thought.

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SweetThistleCakes Posted 26 Jun 2006 , 2:01pm
post #14 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by candy177

I always sift my box mixes. Never found anything yet....but I find that it keeps the holes/tunnels smaller. icon_razz.gif




Ditto! My s/o found a staple in his bread at Panera once. ugh, and he still eats there! I'd be scared!

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vixterfsu Posted 26 Jun 2006 , 2:07pm
post #15 of 23

You may think I'm anal, but I sift my cake mixes
all the time and that was to get the balls out. Never thought about a staple or tape!
v

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ge978 Posted 26 Jun 2006 , 2:14pm
post #16 of 23

There is going to be human error everywhere you eat. You can be as clean as you can & follow all the health codes & still something like a staple will happen....I wouldn't be afraid to eat there. For a staple...I would ask for new bread, but I think I might draw the line at a hair or finger icon_surprised.gificon_lol.gif

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Loucinda Posted 27 Jun 2006 , 2:10pm
post #17 of 23

I agree with ge - and anytime something is packaged there is always a "chance" for error - it could be in a bag of organic flour just as it could be in a cake mix. It is very rare, but occasionally something may slip through. Being diligent helps ~ but even that does not guarantee it won't happen.

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MJsmom Posted 27 Jun 2006 , 2:22pm
post #18 of 23

Oh, goodness! I'm so happy to hear that no one got hurt! Don't feel bad, though. I've run across a few cake/brownie mixes that were CLOSED with a staple at the top! I'm pretty sure they don't do that anymore...
Gross story- me and my family no longer eat pork and beans, because 10+ years ago, we opened a brand name can and found a BRIGHT fUSCHIA, LOOOONG FINGERNAIL!!! And I don't mean a press-on!!! YUUUUUUUUUCK! Hope no one was eating... Just be glad you're misfortune was somewhat sanitary!!!

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ConnieB Posted 27 Jun 2006 , 2:39pm
post #19 of 23

OH MY GOSH!!!!! A real human fingernail, I would draw the line there, no more pork n beans for me either, I don't blame you at all. I think I might have to be calling the manufacturer on that one! usaribbon.gif

Connie

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springlakecake Posted 28 Jun 2006 , 7:40pm
post #20 of 23

I think it is POSSIBLE that the staple was in the mix-you never know. I once was eating a frozen egg roll (well it wasnt frozen when i was eating it-ha ha but you know what i mean) anyway I found some kind of plastic wrap inside. I KNOW I DIDN'T get it in there!

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tw1nkle Posted 29 Jun 2006 , 1:01pm
post #21 of 23

Ok.....don't read any further if you are easily grossed out!!

Easter just gone my husband went to the local supermarket and picked up 1/2 a dozen hot cross buns from the bakery department. He bought them home and warmed them up in the oven to eat.

We sit down at the table and DH takes a big yummy bite and *CRUNCH* he spits out the mouthful and there in it is a *TOOTH*...........NOT his tooth but someone elses!!!!!!!!!!!!!


eeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I kid you not....he took it back to the market and the guy there said he though it looked like sheep tooth!!!

I don't think i will ever buy baked goods from there again!!!

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cindww Posted 29 Jun 2006 , 11:26pm
post #22 of 23

I can't believe this thread is even still going!! I know for certain that I will NEVER eat pork and beans and hot cross buns again. Truthfully, if I found a tooth in my mouth that did not belong to me I would probably be a size 0 cause I don't think I'd be able to eat again!!
Anyway, a week later and the staple is still on my mind. I wish I'd saved it so I could take a second look at it. I just cannot think of anything that I could have done here on my end that would end up with me putting a staple in a cake. I do not use any baking product that is fastened with staples, as someone thought might be a possibility. Oh well..guess I'll just have to be super-careful in the future. I may still write to the company just to let them know it happened.
Thanks for all of the support!
Cindy

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shrek Posted 9 Jul 2006 , 3:50am
post #23 of 23

INTERESTING

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