2023-10-16 15:07:43
Health authorities recommend only consuming mushrooms that you know perfectly well, and having them checked by an expert if you have the slightest doubt.
More than 600 cases of mushroom poisoning have already been recorded since July 1, 2023 in France during the picking period, health authorities underlined this Monday.
Every year in October, we observe a peak in poisonings, recalls the Health Safety Agency (ANSES), reporting the figures recorded by the Poison Control Centers. These poisonings result from several causes: « confusion of an edible species with a toxic species sometimes due to the use of a mushroom recognition application on a smartphone giving incorrect identification of the mushrooms picked, or even consumption of edible mushrooms in poor condition, poorly preserved or insufficiently cooked », writes Anses.
No wild mushrooms for children
Between July 1 and December 31, 2022, 1,923 poisonings were reported to the Poison Control Centers. A figure higher than previous years (1,269 in 2021) but with slightly fewer serious cases: 37 cases of high severity (compared to 41 in 2021), including 2 deaths (compared to 4 in 2021). Of the 1,923 people poisoned in 2022, 30 had used recognition applications on smartphones. Furthermore, while it is not recommended to serve them picked wild mushrooms, 74 young children were poisoned, including an 11-month-old baby suffering from severe hepatitis requiring a stay in intensive care.
To avoid accidents, ANSES, the Poison Control Centers and the Directorate General of Health remind us that we must only collect mushrooms that we know perfectly well, because certain highly toxic mushrooms closely resemble edible species. If there is the slightest doubt regarding the identification of one of the mushrooms harvested, the health authorities recommend not consuming it before having it checked by a specialist in the field: pharmacist or mycology association. They also remind us that picked mushrooms should never be fed to young children and that mushrooms identified using a smartphone recognition application should not be consumed, due to the high risk of error.
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