FHI: How to avoid mushroom poisoning

Some mushrooms in Norway are so toxic that they can cause permanent damage to the liver or kidneys. Every year, people are admitted to hospital with suspected moderate to severe mushroom poisoning.

We are now entering September, which is considered to be the best time to pick mushrooms. This is also when the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) tends to receive the most inquiries.

And FHI has already registered several cases of serious mushroom poisoning.

– We now want to issue a warning. Many people will probably go out into the forest to pick mushrooms in the autumn months, and we would like mushroom pickers to be able to enjoy this activity in a safe way, says senior adviser Charlotte Rosenberg Ulstad at the Poisons Information Department at FHI.

Easy to make mistakes

Even fairly knowledgeable mushroom experts can make mistakes when the zeal becomes too great. Tasty funnel chanterelles, for example, often grow in large clusters, and together with them the very dangerous pointed toadstool can stand. Seen from above, they can look quite similar. That is why it is important to pick them one by one.

– Be absolutely sure which edible mushrooms you have picked, and check each individual mushroom before you eat or serve them, says Ulstad.

She reminds that it is a good idea to pug them most poisonous mushrooms to ensure against picking them by mistake.

– If you have good knowledge and have good routines when picking and cleaning, you save yourself both worry and mushroom poisoning, she says.

Advice to avoid mushroom poisoning

* Always pick and clean the mushrooms one by one

* Have enough knowledge to recognize the edible mushroom you want to find

* Familiarize yourself with poisonous mushrooms to avoid confusion

* The food fungus should be grown or have enough characteristics for you to identify it

* Attend a mushroom inspection to review the fungus, or use a digital mushroom inspection.

The Norwegian Mushroom and Useful Plant Association (NSNF) is behind the Mushroom Control app. There you can easily upload photos of the mushroom you have found, from various angles, where you will quickly receive feedback from experts who assess whether it is an edible or poisonous mushroom.