In recent days, a story has been circulating around the Internet about a 14-year-old boy who started having serious difficulty breathing after eating pancakes made from a mix that had expired. According to the story the mold that forms in old pancake mix can be toxic!

We weren't sure what to believe, so we turned to momlogic's Dr. Cara Natterson to find out if old pancake and cake mix can be detrimental to your health. Here's what Dr. Cara had to say:

"Molds or mold spores do have the ability to cause severe allergic reactions in some people. But we shouldn't go panic about pancake mix. If the mix is packaged in an air-tight plastic pouch, it is extremely difficult for there to be enough moisture inside the pouch to allow molds to gain access and grow.

And while you certainly should check expiration dates and toss old products, this particular scenario is highly unusual and requires a number of aligned circumstances: an expired mix, a non-airtight pouch, a person who continues to eat (maybe because he doesn't notice) mold-infested pancakes, and serious allergic reaction to the mold."

So basically the moral of the story is, eat pancakes and other treats to your heart's content -- but just to be extra, extra safe, toss mix that's past its expiration date.

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