I was scanning a food allergy website for a friend of mine and came across this warning about DH cake mixes...they are now putting milk in them and also running them on a line that may contaminate the mixes with nut products.

"Until this month, Duncan Hines cake mix and Brownie Mix was dairy free and nut free. They changed their recipe and the cake mix now contains milk and is made on a line with nuts. The brownie mix is also now made on a line with nuts. Please let people know about this change. They said if they had enough complaints they may consider going back to the allergy-friendly recepie. Please call them at 1-800-362-9834 or write them at Duncan Hines Consumer Affairs, PO Box 91000, Allentown, PA 18109 (their website will not take comments). "

I thought this might be important to those of you who use these cake mixes and any of your clients who may ask about milk and nut products in your cakes. Even if you aren't adding them you may have a potential problem if someone with one of these allergies eats a cake made from a mix containing these additives.

Please don't tell me they changes their formula!!!! I loved them the way they were!!!

thanks for the info that is good to know as 2 of my really good friends have kids with nut and milk allergies. Glad you shared! Does anyone know if pilsbury or betty crocker contains milk/nut products?

OH NO!!!! I do use DH for sample cakes. I like the recipe the way it was. Thanks for the info. I will inquire further.

THANK YOU! I only use DH and I often make treats for my son to bring into school and I know there is a child with peanut allergies in his class. It's not a huge deal because he brings in his own snack anyway but I understand that he is very sensitive. Thanks again!

thanks for the heads-up

intersting... thanks for telling us!!!!

I think Duncan Hines has been using dry milk in their mix & has been made on the line with nuts since October of 2005. I've just been to a few sites & they all had that date. I had no idea.

I have a neice who is lactose intolerent, and I am making her wedding cake, and my sister told me she can't have any cake mixes becouse the all contain one form are another of milk solid products.

I have been using DH for eternity!! I would use the recipe that is printed inside there box.. One day I said, it does not taste the way it used to taste!! Thanks for letting me know, because I like the original recipe! Looks like they will be getting a call from me as well! I pray they change back!

I sure hope there is not much of a difference, I swear by DH, maybe we should all e-mail the company and complain

I always use DH too when using boxed mix. Thanks for the info. I will be giving them a call as well.

I too have used DH for years and promoted it in my classes, but a few months ago I noticed the cakes were soggy and not as light. I even baked longer. I had one 14" square layer for a wedding cake just fall apart. I don't know what they did to the mix, but they have lost my money. I have gone back to all scratch.

For thoes of you who have NOT written or calles. I recieved a letter back from the company. Please voice your opinions. If enough of us say something like " I've noticed a change in the cake after baking and prefered it the other way." or as I stated "With the change I just purchase the one on sale even if it's the competor brand because unlike before I can't tell the difference now.
Just pushing to be heard!!!

I noticed this a few weeks ago. My sister is vegan, and I know that those used to be dairy free, and I bought a box only to read that there was dairy in it. I called then to complain. I did not realize however that they were not nut free. That is a big deal to some people!
Kelly

I actually contacted Duncan Hines before about nut allergy at least six months ago it has always had a nut allergy. Up until now they never put it on the label because it was never required. Now with the new guidelines they need to print this on the label.

tirby - maybe you can post the contact information here so we can quickly get our letters out, instead of wading through the DH website.

TIA!

That is valuable info.

I wonder if a few of us could just complain, explain that we make a lot of cakes, and worry, tell them that this info could cause us to switch to a new product. They said if they receive complaints they would go back to the allergy-friendly recipe.

From www.duncanhines.com:

"If you have any questions or comments please write to:

Duncan Hines Consumer Affairs
PO Box 91000
Allentown, PA 18109"

Let's all get writing!!!

My letter will be in the mail in the morning!

You'd better believe that I will be writing AND calling DH ASAP!!! (Thanks Kazoot for sending me info about this post!!)

I have been using DH ever since my son has tested positive for being allergic (not intolerant) to dairy. I was THRILLED that DH was dairy free!!!!! My son is also SEVERELY allergic to peanuts and all other nuts. It scared the beegeebies out of me when I read what moydear77 posted about the nuts!!!!!!! I had NO idea there was a possibility of having traces of nuts in their mixes since it wasn't on the label (before being required). (I actually thought listing that info was required longer than 6 months ago).

All it takes for my son to go into anaphylactic shock is to simply touch a nut product. He doesn't even have to ingest it!!!

As many times as I've looked, I've only found that DH was the only dairy free mix on the market (unless I missed one). I remember the first time I discovered dairy had been added to our favorite classic yellow mix. At that time, the Strawberry mix was dairy free (where it hadn't been before that). Then I discovered that flavor went back to having dairy in it!!! Talk about depressing!!!! My son's diet is already so limited and now he can't even have the cake he's loved for 5 yrs now??!!! I'm crushed!!! And his birthday is in July!!!

You can bet I'll be writing a "major" complaint letter and leaving my complaints on their phone lines as well!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for posting this!!! I'm on a mission!!!!!
God bless,
elly

I wrote to them and they replied saying that they have added a skim milk powder in their cake mixes.

Did anyone else get a response????

Since I just saw this, I'll have to mail a letter out Monday morning!

Oh my!!! Thanks for sharing!! I have a young cousin who is very allergic to peanuts. Only scratch for me from now on when he will be at the party! Can't take any chances.

I wrote a tear jerker letter to DH but I haven't heard back from them as of yet. How sad it is that my son cannot eat any more of the only cake he could have!!!!
elly

Thanks for the info. I wrote down the number and will call first thing mon. morn. Why does it always seem that when you find a good thing they have to discontinue it or change it?

interesting

ok i tried calling them but i they had a recording to call another number if it is a health related question i guess they have gotten to many calls lol.
I check my Pillsbury box it contains milk also well there goes that one also. I guess i will just have to ask the people if they are allergic to stuff what a bummer.

The following are the DH mixes that do NOT contain dairy ingredients. They are also not processed on dairy equipment.

Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix (Family Style)
Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix
Double Fudge Brownie Mix
Walnut Brownie Mix-Chocolate Lovers
Wild Maine Blueberry Muffin Mix

The following are (or are going to be) dairy

Angel Food Cake Mix
Banana Supreme Cake Mix
Blueberry Streusel Muffin Mix
Butter Recipe Fudge Cake Mix
Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix
Caramel Cake Mix
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Cinnamon Swirl Muffin Mix
Classic White Cake Mix
Classic Yellow Cake Mix
Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
Dark Fudge with Chocolate Chunks Brownie Mix
Devil's Food Cake Mix
Devils Food Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
DH Orange Cake Mix (Canada)
French Vanilla Flavor Cake Mix
French Vanilla Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Fudge Marble Cake Mix
German Chocolate Cake Mix
Golden Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Lemon Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Lemon Supreme Flavor Cake Mix Duncan Hines
Milk Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix
Orange Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Orange Supreme Cake Mix
Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix
Pineapple Supreme Flavor Cake Mix
Red Velvet Cake Mix
Spice Cake Mix Duncan Hines
Spice Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix
Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix
Swiss Chocolate Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines
Turtle Brownie Mix
White Layer Cake Mix- Canadian Duncan Hines

An easy way to tell if the item contains ANY dairy ingredients -even easier than reading ingredient--is looking at the O-U on the package. It's this "U" inside an "O." If there is a "D" next to it, it does contain dairy, or has been manufactured on dairy equipment.
Even if your favorite mix is listed above, if the "D" is not next to the O-U, then you're in luck !

Let's keep up the pressure on the company. It worked for Stella D'oro cookies!

Duncan Hines
6 Executive Campus
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002-4130
856-969-7572

Thank you so much for the info!!