The dangers of poisonous wild foods

There was recently a story about a person in Australia who caused the deaths of four people by feeding them mushrooms. A woman named Ms. Patterson invited her former in-laws over for lunch, one of which also brought her sister and husband along. The two couples were fed a meal prepared by Miss Patterson that included mushrooms, and the group ate together along with Miss Patterson and her two daughters.

 

The dangers of poisonous wild foods

(The death cap mushroom, or Amanita phalloides is the most deadly mushroom in the world, with no known antidote)

 

Towards the end of the night, the four guests complained of stomach pain and went to the hospital early the next day. It was confirmed that they had eaten poisonous mushrooms of the death cap variety, the world’s most deadly mushroom. Three of them died later that day and the fourth is still alive in critical condition awaiting a kidney transplant. Since the investigation is still taking place at the time of writing this, it’s not clear if this was an intentional poisoning or a foraging accident by someone who didn’t know what they were doing. It does look very suspicious that the woman who cooked the meal and her two children are absolutely fine, and it makes it look worse as she’s apparently refusing to talk about the meal, what exactly was in it, and why she and her children are ok.

 

(The destroying angel mushroom is still not as deadly as the death cap but more than capable of causing death)

 

There are stories like this that pop up all the time around the world, from people’s dogs dying after eating a mushroom they found growing out of the lawn, to entire families perishing from a single day of foraging gone wrong. The numbers on exactly how many people die from eating the wrong kind of mushrooms are unclear, and many of the people who died from them don’t have the cause detected, but a rouge estimate gathered from numerous sources puts the number at around 100 deaths per year globally.

 

hemlock

(Hemlock, one of the most common poisonous plants in the UK and thought to be used in the poisoning of the Greek philosopher Socrates)

 

There are over 10,000 species of mushrooms in the UK alone and it seems unclear exactly how many types are poisonous, but over 95% of all mushroom-related deaths in the UK are from only two types, the death cap, and the destroying angel mushroom. The death cap contains a poison that has no cure, and by the time the victim feels any pain, it’s already too late.

 

How to avoid foraging something poisonous

 

The dangers of poisonous wild foods aren’t restricted to death but can cause life-long conditions instead, such as giant hogweed which can cause skin conditions years after contact. There are a number of signs to look for that many poisonous plants share, but there are more that are unique to each plant. There isn’t a single blog post or website out there that can train you to the level where you can forage a wide range of foods safely, especially mushrooms, so here’s a list of general tips instead:

 

  • If you don’t know exactly what it is, then don’t even touch it.

 

  • If you slice the stem of a mushroom in half and it dis-colors to red, green, blue, or a strong yellow, then it’s probably poisonous.

 

  • Never pick any kind of mushrooms unless you have had professional training.

 

  • Learn about the most common plants you might come into contact with, these include hogweed, hemlock, deadly nightshade, dog weed, foxgloves, and a whole range of mushrooms.

 

  • If you have eaten something poisonous, the effects should start anywhere between half an hour and 4 hours, depending on what it is and how much the person ate.

 

  • If you suspect someone might have eaten something poisonous, even a tiny amount, then go straight to the emergency room and tell them you’ve ingested poison.

 

  • Whatever you do, do not leave it until the next day or try and get in with the doctor, time is literally of the essence.