Dangers of feeding old cakes/pancake mixes!

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I just received this in my inbox. . . I have elderly friends that are always giving me things from their pantry. Last box of stuff were cake mixes, one with the date of 2001 on it!! We might be tempted to feed expired cake, biscuit or pancake mixes to our chickens but it's not a good idea.


> **According to Snopes:
> **Subject:* Cake Mixes & Toxins- ***PLEASE READ*** Pass this on to *ALL* in
> your address book. You never know whose life you may save by doing so. For
> those of you at work, PLEASE remember to check your cupboards when you get
> home tonight!!!
>
> This is *confirmed* on Snopes
> http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp
>
> *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 Throw away ALL OUTDATED pancake mix, brownie
> mixes, Bisquick, cake & cookie mixes, etc., you have in your home.
>
> P.S. Tell this to your children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and anyone
> else who keeps these types of mixes in the cupboard.*

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Wow, interesting. You don't often see a snopes email confirmed!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

It also states that those at risk are people who are allergic to molds. NOT everyone. DH is allergic to molds though, so this definately applies to our household. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Go ahead and read the entire Snopes report http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp because it contains interesting & beneficial information. It seems the concern is primarily for folks who already have allergies to this kind of mold, and the mold can only begin to grow in packages that have been opened and/or been exposed to damp air containing the spores.

I don't know how sensitive our chickens are to this kind of mold. And just because a package of mix is outdated doesn't mean it has mold. It's up to you how much you wish to risk, how much you want to avoid waste. I don't know how nourishing dry pancake or cake mix would be to chickens.

I guess the best thing is to keep your boxed mixes current, don't leave them for long in the pantry, especially once they've been opened. Mix them up right away & enjoy!

By the way, our family's favorite pancake mix is Aunt Jemima's Whole Wheat Blend Pancake & Waffle Mix. http://www.auntjemima.com/aj_products/pancakemixes/wholeWheat.cfm There are no preservatives, no weird artificial ingredients. They always come out moist & flavorful, better than any other mix we've ever tried, even the fancy organic mixes from the health food store. They are especially delicious made with fresh DUCK EGGS, which I whip in the blender before adding, and I also put a ripe banana in the blender with the egg. For extra nutrition, I use soy milk & extra-light tasting olive oil, and about a quarter cup of wheat germ too.