FSAI Advises Caution on Consuming Wild Mushrooms - Vigilance Needed to Safeguard Children from Risk of Poisoning
Thursday, 2 October 2014
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today strongly advises people not to eat any part of a mushroom found in the wild without first seeking the advice of an expert mushroom forager. It warns of the serious risks posed by poisonous mushrooms and, in particular, the need for parents and guardians to ensure children do not consume wild mushrooms that may be growing in gardens or fields.
The warning coincides with the start of the foraging season and an increase in enquiries to the National Poisons Information Centre of Ireland in relation to wild mushroom consumption. In 2013, 19 cases of poisoning related to wild mushrooms were notified to the Centre, involving seven adults and twelve children. To date this year, 18 cases have been notified, involving seven adults and eleven children. All of the children had accidently eaten wild mushrooms.
Ray Ellard, Director of Consumer Protection, FSAI states: “The high number of cases involving children in particular points to the need for parents and guardians to be vigilant and to teach children not to eat wild mushrooms. We’re advising parents and guardians to specifically watch children who may be playing in gardens or fields where wild mushrooms could be growing in case they accidently eat a poisonous mushroom.”
According to Mr Ellard it is extremely difficult for amateur mushroom foragers to distinguish between safe and poisonous mushrooms growing in the wild.
“Given the serious health implications, we’re advising people to be aware of the risks involved and to seek specialist advice from an experienced mushroom forager if they plan to undertake this activity. In our opinion, websites and books showing visuals of mushrooms are not sufficient to identify safe mushrooms and we would not recommend people to solely rely on these to determine the safety of a wild mushroom,” said Mr Ellard.
“It is important to note that cooking does not kill the potentially toxic chemicals that can be found in some wild mushrooms. Eating a wild poisonous mushroom, raw or cooked, can result in people becoming very ill with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and, in some cases, it can result in liver failure,” added Mr Ellard.
There are 14 native species of mushrooms growing in Ireland that can cause food poisoning and a further 13 species that are highly dangerous and can cause hepatic and renal toxicity and ultimately, can be life threatening. The FSAI states that if people do gather mushrooms in the wild, they need to be aware of the risks they are taking and should always enlist an expert for advice.
Consumers with food safety queries about wild mushrooms can contact the FSAI Advice Line on 1890 33 66 77 or the Poisons Information Centre of Ireland on 01-8092166 or at www.poisons.ie