BS: Poisoned pancakes?

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: Don Firth
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 01:35 PM

No, folks, not an urban legend in this case.

I know the fellow who this happened to. He's a local singer, he was one of my guitar students back in the early 1960s, and he's a regular at hoots and songfests. He also posts on Mudcat from time to time (I won't mention his Mudcat name in case he'd rather I'd not. I'll leave that to him if he wishes)

When Barbara got Bob's (Deckman's) e-mail about this yesterday, she dug out a couple of books she has on diet and nutrition and found that this is not an unknown phenomenon. She's at work right now, so I can't ask her about what she found, but I believe one of the books named the ingredients or agents involved. I'll ask her when she gets home. When the mix goes bad, it can cause anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reaction).

In the meantime, there is some information here:    CLICKY #1.

More information. CLICKY #2

Here's what Snopes says. CLICKY #3

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 01:28 PM

Penicillin allergy is rare but real. My mother had it marked on a bracelet, as well as on a card with her identification. She had survived the reaction.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 01:06 PM

It's not terribly uncommon for people to be unaware of their mold allergies until exposure causes a health crisis. People die every year because they they answer that "Are you allergic to penicillin?" question on medical questionaires "No". They think they've had penicillin before when, in fact, it was some other antibiotic. An aunt of mine died at age 50 for that very reason.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: Becca72
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 12:58 PM

I, too, would not have made it past early childhood if I didn't eat things that tasted "weird". My mother was a horrible cook!

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 12:32 PM

Interesting.

Continental Mills, which owns Krusteaz, Alpine, Snoqualmie Falls Lodge, Classic Hearth, Eagle Mills, and Ghirardelli brands, recommends storing their pancake mix in a dark, cool place where the temperature doesn't exceed 70F and to use it within two years. They say that there is nothing in the mix which needs preservatives.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisoned pancakes?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 12:18 PM

"Old Pancake Mix, Lays Man Flat."

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 12:14 PM

Re the Squeak; Aunt Jemima pancake mix is available in UK. Go online to find sources. Excellent!
Then there is Jif, which comes in a bottle.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Michael
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 11:45 AM

Amos
Did she say "Diesel do you good"?

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Amos
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:37 AM

We had a cook one time who served up to our jolly crew a mess of fine pancakes which had been adulterated, most unfortunately, with light diesel oil, which fueled her galley stove. It sent half the watch bill running for the scuppers at various intervals for a day. But we got over it, and she was forgiven, as it was an accident.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:32 AM

Bee - as the child of a school cook I'd have to disagree with your moral.. I would have starved to death aged 12 if I hadn't.

I think you have to quantify 'weird'. I like corned beef and jam sandwiches - that's corned beef with jam on, not 2 sorts of sandwich... which is weird. None of them will cause me any digestive discomfort (unless I eat them really fast and slumped over) or poison me, but are definately classed as weird.

You're right though, mould toxins are probably the culprit. The plague of the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Moses et al) has been put down to a similar sort of mould toxin that affected the wheat crop that had been horded against the plague of locusts. This wheat would in all likelihood, have been fed to the eldest child as the potential heir to preserve the bloodline.

It may be that the ingredients that this particular brand Krusteaze contains no inhibitors or preservatives so it is more likely to produce the toxin.

Make it fresh guys, make it fresh!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Bee
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:25 AM

http://www.43things.com/things/view/743662/learn-about-urban-legends

Scroll down page to find story written by Barbara Mikkelsen of Snopes.

I'm surprised Bob's friend's doctor didn't tell him that he is probably allergic to various mold toxins, which is the most likely culprit in pancake mix - not some mysterious chemical change.

The moral of the story is, if your food tastes weird - don't eat it.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:10 AM

A similar incident was reported to Dear Abby and has shown up at Truth or Fiction.com as "Unproven but possible"

Check here - Pancake story

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:00 AM

Rap ... You'll like this. "Bride Judy" calliged son Chris a "bookmark" that says: "Many people have eaten my cooking and gone to lead normal lives!" CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 09:20 AM

Knowing my friend, I suspect that this pancake mix was VERY OLD, several years likely. Some friends are starting to research this, and they are coming up with some very interesting incidents. Apparently the doctors asked him if he had used the KRUSTEAZ brand of pancake mix. I'll post more information as soon as I learn more. Thanks, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 09:19 AM

I use Krusteaz all the time, but the bag (I buy it in bags, and I mean the contents of course, not the bag itself) usually doesn't last longer than 6 months. I keep it in the cupboard with the top tightly rolled and clamped shut to keep out weevils, etc.

I can't see anything in the contents that would poison anyone, nor anything that would change into a poison. Could it have been contaminated with something else?

(I've had people get sick looking at my cooking and from the taste, but I go by the old principle "Non-toxic in, non-toxic out.")

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 08:50 AM

Canned goods aren't usually a problem - the heating process during canning kills most, if not all bacteria. Bacteria can only get in if there is a hole in the can. The major problem with old, canned goods is if the contents are particularly acid, they'll start to eat through the can and absorb the metals it's made of. Old pewter has a similar effect - if you store or drink certain acidic drinks like spirits or cider in old pewter, certain chemicals can leach into the contents.

Dried foods on the other hand, usually stored "open" (i.e., not airtight) can gather all manner of things and sometimes these cause a reaction.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 08:50 AM

Even if I keep it in the freezer?

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 08:44 AM

Define "very old". I have been known to keep canned tomato soup until it eats through the can - that old?

Not funny. He is lucky that the doctors recognized what was wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 08:43 AM

And the moral is, don't use pancake mix but make up your batter fresh each time.

In the UK we don't have pancake mix, so I think we're safe... it's certainly nothing I've heard of.

Hope your friend recovers fully though.

LTS

Subject: BS: Poisened pancakes?
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 08:39 AM

We have a close friend who nearly died two days ago because of a batch of pancakes he cooked. He ate some, started to pass out, was able to call 911. He spent hours in the ER room. The doctors told him that he came close to dying ... his blood pressure dropped to almost nothing. After a lot of questions, they determined the culprit as an OLD box of KRUSTEAZ PANCAKE MIX. They told him that they see this occasionally. Apparently, something in the mix creates a dangerous combination of chemicals, when it's very old.

Has anyone else heard of this problem? Thanks, Bob(deckman)Nelson