…then, for the pancake mix to pose a hazard it has to contain mold spores, not just be over the hill.
In October 2008 the pancake mix warning was expanded to include cake, biscuit, and brownie mixes.
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.
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.
So in a nutshell, when in doubt, throw it out.
True Or False: Are Old Cake Mixes Deadly? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
