Mushroom poisoning: mix-ups can be fatal If you experience symptoms after eating mushrooms, seek medical advice, preferably from a poison information centre
What it's about:
Cases of poisoning from eating self-picked mushrooms are quite common. Every year, the poison centres in the German federal states ("Laender") answer a few thousand questions about mushrooms. “In Germany, there are some really poisonous mushrooms that look like edible ones. Even experienced collectors can make mistakes,” says Dr Yuri Bruinen de Bruin, head of the National Poison Registry unit at the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Popular local edible mushrooms include the field mushroom and the Russula. These mushrooms are often confused with the green death cap, which is highly poisonous. The toxins contained in this mushroom can cause liver failure and consuming even a small amount can be fatal. Children and elderly people are particularly at risk, as even small amounts can cause serious health problems. Not all mushrooms cause the same symptoms of poisoning. While mushroom poisoning can involve a variety of symptoms, it often begins with discomfort, accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Anyone who eats mushrooms they have collected themselves runs the risk of poisoning. Edible species are often confused with poisonous ones. The death cap mushroom is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in Germany. Even consuming small amounts can lead to death in adults and children. Around 10 percent of all enquiries to GIZ relating to possible mushroom poisoning are caused by death cap mushrooms. These grow from July to October, mainly in deciduous forests, but can also be found in parks. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment estimates that death cap mushrooms are responsible for at least 80 percent of all fatal mushroom poisonings in Germany.
Measures to take in the event of mushroom poisoning
- If you feel unwell after eating mushrooms, always consult a doctor or poison information centre immediately.
- Under no circumstances should treatment be administered without a doctor's instructions: even seemingly harmless measures such as inducing vomiting can have serious health consequences, e.g. if vomit enters the lower respiratory tract. Milk can promote the uptake of toxic substances.
- In the event of poisoning, any remnants of the mushrooms, e.g. from cleaning or from the meal, and in some cases even vomit, can provide important clues for identifying the mushrooms (including spore analysis). These remnants should therefore not be thrown away.
- Other people who have also eaten the mushroom should be informed and also seek medical attention, even if no symptoms have yet occurred.
Important information on handling mushrooms and preventing mushroom poisoning
- To protect yourself from mushroom poisoning, you should only collect and prepare mushrooms that you can reliably identify as edible. Mushroom apps are a good way to find out general information about a mushroom species, but they often do not help clearly and reliably identify the mushrooms, so such apps should only be used with great caution.
- Mushrooms must be prepared fresh.
- Fox tapeworm eggs can attach themselves to wild mushrooms. To ensure that the bacteria are killed, mushrooms should be cooked at a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees Celsius for at least five minutes.
- Raw edible mushrooms in salads often cause intolerance reactions. Therefore, any mushroom dish should be cooked for at least 15 minutes.
- Mushroom dishes can be reheated a second time after being stored in the refrigerator for a short time.
- Many cities and regions have mushroom advisory centres or individual experts with extensive and certified knowledge of mushroom identification. If you are unsure as to whether a mushroom is poisonous or edible, it is advisable to consult a mushroom advisor. You can find information about mushroom experts on the website of the German Mycological Society (see below). The poison centres of the German federal states (“Laender”) also provide relevant contacts for mushroom poisoning or identification questions.
- Valuable information about mushrooms and the risks of poisoning can be found in an article in the German Medical Journal and on the website of the German Mycological Society:
External Link:https://di.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article?id=216191&src=search
External Link:https://www.dgfm-ev.de
Further information on the BfR website on the subject of poisoning
Questions and answers on the subject of poisonous plants
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/service/frequently-asked-questions/topic/poisonous-plants-how-to-protect-yourself-and-what-to-do-in-case-of-poisoning/
Directory of poison centres (in German)
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/verzeichnis-der-giftinformationszentren.pdf
About the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people's health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.