Is the new “shake and bake” meth recipe more dangerous?”
Shake ‘n Bake, manufactured by Kraft Foods, is a flavored bread crumb-style coating for chicken and pork. The product is applied by placing raw meat pieces in a bag containing the coating, closing the bag, and shaking so the particles adhere. The coated meat is then baked at 400°F in the oven. Shake ‘n Bake mimics the texture on the outside of fried foods and is similar to a bread crumb coating. It provides an alternative preparation to that of fried chicken and other fried foods. Instead of using cooking oil, meats can be coated with Shake ‘n Bake and baked. Shake ‘n Bake has been marketed as providing a healthier and less greasy alternative to frying, with slogans like: “Shake ‘n Bake, it’s better than frying.” First introduced in 1965 by General Foods, it is currently marketed under the Kraft brand. Shake ‘n Bake’s Original Pork flavor includes as ingredients: enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate Vitamin B1, riboflavin Vitamin B2, folic acid), salt, p
Methamphetamine cookers have concocted a new way to make the drug and Gibson County Prosecutor Rob Krieg is asking merchants to help restrict access to items used in the process. Krieg sent a letter this week asking retailers to consider putting “instant cold packs,” used to treat sprained ankles and other injuries, behind store counters and monitor them more closely. The packs contain ammonium nitrate, which can be used in the “shake and bake” method of making meth, Krieg said. In the past, meth makers have typically used anhydrous ammonia to manufacture the drug. However, police have been monitoring locations where anhydrous is stored. Also, the strong smell that emanates from anhydrous often leads police to the scene of meth-making operations, Krieg said. The “shake and bake” method can be dangerous, but is quicker and doesn’t produce the chemical smell found with anhydrous-based meth production, said Krieg. “Shake and bake” meth labs also pose safety issues, because the chemical re
Using the new formula, batches of meth are much smaller but just as dangerous as the old system, which sometimes produces powerful explosions, touches off intense fires and releases drug ingredients that must be handled as toxic waste. “If there is any oxygen at all in the bottle, it has a propensity to make a giant fireball,” said Sgt. Jason Clark of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. “You’re not dealing with rocket scientists here anyway. If they get unlucky at all, it can have a very devastating reaction.” One little mistake, such as unscrewing the bottle cap too fast, can result in a huge blast, and police in Alabama, Oklahoma and other states have linked dozens of flash fires this year — some of them fatal — to meth manufacturing.
