The mushroom foraging season is here: stay alert to the risk of poisoning!

Consumers face multiple poisoning risks such as confusion of an edible species with a toxic species, or consumption of edible mushrooms that are in poor condition or undercooked. In 2019, more than 2,000 poisoning cases were reported to poison control centres between 1 July and 31 December. These occurred mainly in October (57% of cases), when weather conditions combining rainfall, humidity and cooler temperatures favoured wild mushroom growth and picking.

The majority of poisoning cases concerned foraged mushrooms, but in some cases they followed purchase at a market or in a shop, or consumption in a restaurant (4%). While most of the patients were poisoned during a meal, in 3% of cases a piece of inedible mushroom had been eaten by a young child or an adult with a cognitive disorder (Alzheimer's disease, intellectual disability, etc.). In a few cases, confusion between species had been facilitated by the use of fungi recognition apps on smartphones, which had incorrectly identified the foraged mushrooms.

The symptoms observed were mainly digestive: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. While most of these poisonings were minor, there were 24 cases of high severity with life-threatening prognosis, and three deaths.

In response to this situation, which is repeated every year, ANSES, the poison control centres and the Directorate General for Health offer the following recommendations:

• only pick mushrooms that you know very well: some highly poisonous fungi closely resemble edible species. Beware! Poisonous fungi can grow in the same place that you picked edible mushrooms the previous year;
• if you have the slightest doubt about the condition or identification of any of the mushrooms you have picked, do not consume them until you have had them checked by a specialist. You can seek advice from a pharmacist or local mycology associations and societies;
• only pick specimens in good condition and take the entire mushroom (stalk and cap), to facilitate identification;
• avoid picking mushrooms near potentially polluted sites such as roadsides, industrial zones and landfills;
• carefully separate the foraged mushrooms according to species, to avoid mixing pieces of poisonous fungi with edible mushrooms;
• place the mushroom species separately in a box, crate or basket and never in a plastic bag, which accelerates their decomposition;
• store the mushrooms in the refrigerator (max. 4°C) while avoiding contact with other foods, and eat them within two days of picking;
• cConsume in reasonable quantities after cooking them thoroughly, and never eat wild mushrooms raw;
• never feed the mushrooms you have picked to young children;
• do not consume mushrooms identified by a fungi recognition app on a smartphone, due to the high risk of error;
• do not consume mushrooms sold by non-professional street vendors.