I just got this email... it might help!
A student at HBHS (high school) had pancakes this week and it almost became fatal. His Mom (registered nurse) made him pancakes, dropped him off at school and headed to play tennis. She never takes her cell phone on the court but did this time and her son called to say he was having trouble breathing. She told him to go to the nurse immediately and proceeded to call school and alert the nurse. The nurse called the paramedics and they were there in 3 minutes and worked on the boy all the way to the hospital. He came so close to dying. Evidently this is more common then I ever knew. Check the expiration dates on packages like pancakes and cake mixes that have yeast which over time develop spores. Apparently, the mold that forms in old mixes can be toxic! Throw away ALL OUTDATED pancake mix, Bisquick, brownie mixes, cake mixes etc you have in your home.
You can check this website....... http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp
Wow I didn't know that. Too freaky.
As an aside--some trivia--I saw something once where this baker was using (harvesting) yeast off of cabbage leaves to ferment his bread.
The active ingredient in a cake mix would be the baking powder. A package with a 12-08 expiration date will probably still be "active" for at least 6 to 8 months. So if your cake rises you've got it made! lol (no pun intended.)
Here's some additional info about that "bad pancake mix" email. HTH
"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.
For mold to gain access to a food product, the foodstuff has to be exposed to its spores. Pancake mix cocooned in an unbleached wax paper, plastic, or a foil pouch within its outer packaging wouldn't have this contact and should still be safe no matter how old it gets. However, mix sold unpouched in cardboard boxes or paper sacks would likely be at risk even if the box or sack hadn't previously been opened, because such packaging would not necessarily keep dampness out, and mold thrives in damp environments."
In God we Trust!
Then wouldn't dry product company's have to not only put "Best if used by" expiration dates, but warnings of "Fatal if Ingested" after dates on it too?
Then wouldn't dry product company's have to not only put "Best if used by" expiration dates, but warnings of "Fatal if Ingested" after dates on it too?
That's where common sense comes in. We've already got too much "big brother" stuff. What's next - labels on milk: don't drink if sour? 
if cake mixes and pancake mixes actually had yeast in them.. maybe.. lol
I wouldn't worry about a recently expired mix. I wouldn't give it to someone else though lol you know.. just in case.
if cake mixes and pancake mixes actually had yeast in them.. maybe.. lol
I wouldn't worry about a recently expired mix. I wouldn't give it to someone else though lol you know.. just in case.
It's about mold. The op mentions yeast and I mentioned yeast but the anaphylaxis ioccurs from ingesting mold spores that grew in the pancake mix.
If the mixes are unopened and sealed, they should be ok. I am personally allergic to mold, but have used (and eaten) expired boxed mixes before. (They were only 2-3 months pass date.) The date on the box is really more for the store to pull those boxes if they are not sold by that date. Kind of like milk doesn't magically spoil on the date stamped on it. I say that using those mixes soon should be fine.
I received that same email (it has been looping for 2 years) Before everyone panics about such emails, ALWAYS do further research. The article on Snopes.com further states if the packaging is correct, and unopened it won't contain spores anyway. I tell everyone, whenever you get emails with "scare" stories in them, always verify the information BEFORE you forward it, to eliminate scaring more people w/ false, or partial information.
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