Hey All,

I have a crazy thing to share... Don't laugh too much!!

Some of you already know I spent ALL day yesterday making the icing for the wedding cake... BCI white & BCI chocolate (using Dawn's recipe).
Well I woke up this morning & I started coughing, my chest was hurting & my throat was sore. I have not felt bad at all for awhile...
I think it was from the powder sugar & cocoa... You know when you add it into your mixing bowl how a puff of smoke (that's all I can think to call it) comes up in the air?? Well everytime I added those two I would cough & cough! I don't just throw it all in my mixing bowl. I add a little at a time but it still poofs!

I really think all that smoke got into my lungs! What do ya'll think? I know it sounds crazy! Has this every happened to anyone else???
I hope I'm not getting sick!! The wedding is the 23rd & I have to work all week making the cakes & getting things ready... I CAN'T GET SICK!!
I sound like a hypercondriact (spelled wrong)!! LOL

Ya'll give me your opinion of this ok~

If you inhaled that much of the "smoke" and you coughed that hard, you probably irritated your throat and got some of it at least in your bronchial system (maybe not your lungs), and all that coughing would make you sore!
Hopefully it will clear out soon, and you aren't getting sick. We need to figure out a way for you to mix them without the "smoke", maybe put the sugar and cocoa in a bowl and mix them dry and then put them in your mixer, maybe not so much going airborne that way! Janice

I've accidentally inhaled PS dust. Nothing like breathing sweet air! It never irritated my lungs though.

This is a very real condition. You are not crazy at all. When you're making large quantities like this, you really should wear a mask (or even small quantities if you have asthma or other lung related problems.)

I agree with Dawn you need to wear a mask when your doing this.. I have heard that people get this way when they breath the powder but that Powder sugar its self dont make them ill just the smoke of it ..

I have to wear one when I do anything with Luster Dust or any Colored Powder... I do have Asthma and it reallys bothers me Did not know this till our first DOS last year... So now I wear a mask when doing this...


When I mix my icing I place a Flour Towel over the mixer so the smoke dont fly all over the kitchen maybe you may want to try laying a towel over your mixer when your doing this and see if that will help you ..

Oh I am so sorry. It must have sounded like I was making light. I just did not know that some people had this problem.

Ladycake...I'm going to use your idea to put a towel over the mixer. My mixer is smack dab between my black stove and my black fridge. By the time I'm done, the dust is on the overhead vent and on top of the fridge! I really don't know how it finds its way up there. I think putting a towel over it will keep that from happening though. Thanks

Lisa- just think- if it's all over your kitchen- it's all over you! hehehe... I always feel so dirty after decorating. I always shower immediately after finishing.

It bothers my lungs, too.... another asthmatic here.

Yes...I'm always a mess after decorating too. We just get too into our work I know I've gotten a little too excited when eating a powdered donut before and inhaled the sugar that way--now that did make me choke! The dust from making my icing though just tickles my nose a bit and you can actually taste it in your mouth.

Wow! I'm so glad to hear I'm not going crazy!! I have not be diagnosed with asthma but my dr. says I'm borderline because everytime I get a cold I get bronchitius & start wheezing. I do have an inhaler that I'm supposed to use when I get wheezy in my chest. I did have to use it today!

I have masks for when I mow the yard with the riding mower. So I will put some in the house for when I do my icing!

Thanks for clearing that up for me you guys! I hope it isn't a cold!! Hopefully I'll be feeling better by tomorrow!

Lisa your so caring! You were not making light of the subject! You were probably LYAO at my post!!

i just got over bronchitis and was using an inhaler as well. i have to pour my ps a little at a time because that same thing happened to me and i couldn't stop coughing.

Another thing you might try to help with the powdered sugar dust is this, if you are able, have your mixer sit next to your stovetop. Then turn your exhasut fan on high. As you are adding powdered sugar, you should see the dust get pulled up into the exhaust fan, of course this is provided you have a good exhaust fan over your stove. I have done this at least once and it worked great for me.

OMG! Do you have a KitchenAid mixer? Because I had that problem the first couple times I made the buttercream icing when I poured in the bag of confectioner's sugar. Then I discovered that they made something called a Pouring Shield for these!! I got mine for about $8- and it is a LIFESAVER! It's just a two piece plastic thing, but it's perfect! You can find them online just look for "KitchenAid mixer pouring shield" and then look for your model.. If you have that kind of mixer, that is..

The other thing that our teacher suggested to us is covered the mixer with a dishtowel when you first start to mix it, and mix on low until it is combined.

Best of luck! I hope you feel better soon!
~AngelWendy

One more thing, this used to be a very serious problem for bakers in the past and many people did get very sick from it. It was from inhaling too much of the very fine sugar and cake flour.. Please be careful!

~AngelWendy

After learning about the problems you all have with the dusts, I wanted to find out more. You are not going to believe this! The dust from the sugar can also lead to tooth decay.

I read it in an article about workplace hazards. It's here

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:SefdRCV_4bAJ:www.amrc.org.hk/WORKLIFE2%252002.pdf

Unless well-ventilated, the bakery can be full of flour or sugar dust that can cause runny noses and general respiratory distress. The sugar dust in the air can cause tooth decay.

Gosh, Lisa!!
That's scarey!! I read just the part about the bakery. I guess I did breathe too much of the CP & PS into my lungs!!! I bearly have a voice today! I've had to use my inhaler a few times today. My throat is sore & I've been coughing. I really don't think it's allergies. My chest hurts more then anything. Maybe I'll go the the dr. tomorrow.

Angel Wendy,
I do have a KA & I have the shield. I have used the shield but I don't think it really made a difference. I will use it next time just to see.

Mouse,
That's a good idea to put the mixer close to the exhaust fan! I will do that next time. I will also put a fan near the window & maybe it will draw the dust outside. Just to be careful I will also wear a mask!

When I need answers I sure can get them on CC!!!!! Thanks for all your research & suggestions!!

WARNING....WARNING.... WARNING...

DO NOT INHALE POWDERED SUGAR OR COCOA POWDER WHEN USING IT!! WEAR A MASK IF YOU ARE HAVING TO USE A LOT OF PS OR CP!!!!

TAKE IT FROM ME I LEARNED THE HARD WAY!!

THIS HAS BEEN A MESSAGE FROM THE EMERGANCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM OF CAKE CENTRAL!!!!!

Ha, ha, ha!! too funny!

I totally learned this the hard way! Now I will be a lot careful next time which is next week~

Anyone heard of "brown lung disease", very similar to the black lung disease that smokers can get. Textile factory workers usually get it from all the fuzz from fabrics, also people who do a lot of sewing for a living can be affected by this disease, and if you think about it, so could people who bake a lot and have a lot of fine powders in the air alot, like us cake decorators with our powdered sugar.

I've heard of it m0use & I believe it!! When I was 16 yrs old... LONG LONG TIME AGO!! I worked at a Jordache jean factory during the summer. My mom also worked there. I can not tell a short story so bear with me... I sewed the belt loops on the jeans. When I would go on a break I would blow & blow my nose because of all the lent in it!! When I would get home from work my dad would say "Hello Smurfette" to me. I never paid him any mind. I would go jump in the shower then be lazy the rest of the day. Well one day I wasn't in a good mood & he called me that! I told him my name was TootsieRoll (that's what he calls me) not Smurfette!! He told me to go look in the mirror... I did, & my nose was dark blue & portions of my face were too! I can see someone getting a disease from working at places like that all their life.

After not being able to sleep last night, I went to the dr. today... He said the PS & CP messed up my asthma!! He described it like this.. when you have something in your eye your tears start & washes it out. Well when you inhale something like dust or other things that are harmful you cough, sneeze, eyes water, & your lungs hurt!!!! SO he said to wear a mask! I told him I was already one step ahead of him!! Thanks to my friends at CC!!

Oh.. I didn't make enough CBCI so I have to make more tomorrow!!

I FORGOT.....

MOUSE I LOVE YOUR MOUSE!!!!! It is as cute as it can be!!!! Is she dropping gloves? Then she must be a "southern belle" LOL!!!

She is very pretty!! I think all your avatars were cute!