Specific to pancake mix, the baking powder degrades over time and loses its effectiveness to react with the other ingredients. Probably takes about three years.

This is so true. First batch of a brand new box is SO much better.

Anonymous wrote:It just degrades. It won’t kill you, it just won’t taste as good.

Not going to ask why you hoarded pancake mix…

Good, because I really couldn't tell you why. Made sense at the time....

It just degrades. It won’t kill you, it just won’t taste as good.

Not going to ask why you hoarded pancake mix…

These sorts of things don't go bad in the sense that they will make you sick they just don't taste as good and as PP mentioned some ingredients like baking powder may not work as well.

I hade some old boxed mac and cheese for my kid and it tasters stale. like a cardboard box.

Put in ziplock and toss it in the freezer.

Specific to pancake mix, the baking powder degrades over time and loses its effectiveness to react with the other ingredients. Probably takes about three years.

For sealed ingredients in general, they are not air-tight. Air gets in, moisture, possibly even bugs.

I bought a bunch of pancake mix from Costco during COVID and it's become obvious we're not going to eat it before the expiration date. I'm not going to throw it out though. I'm wondering how food in a sealed thick plastic bag can even go bad. How does that happen?