The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urged people not to eat wild mushrooms, as they might be poisonous.
A family of four from Penghu County fell ill in September last year after cooking and eating green-spored parasol mushrooms that they found, it said.
Shortly after eating the mushrooms — a species often mistaken for edible parasol mushrooms — the family experienced dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea, which are common symptoms of food poisoning, the FDA said.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Poisoning from wild mushrooms is common, as many of them grow naturally near human habitats and are often mistaken for edible variants, it said.
The green-spored parasol, in particular, is one of the mushrooms most widely consumed by mistake, as it is ubiquitous and looks harmless, the FDA said.
It is also called the false parasol or “the vomiter,” it said.
It has a large cap that can grow up to 40cm in diameter, and is highly poisonous, producing severe gastrointestinal symptoms within one to three hours of being consumed, it added.
It is most commonly picked and eaten in the early stages of its growth when it is white — like the edible parasol mushroom, the FDA said.
After it matures, it turns a grayish-green color that is easily distinguishable, it added.
In another case of poisoning resulting from the consumption of green-spored parasols, a family in Taichung fell ill in June last year after cooking and eating mushrooms they found on the side of the road, it said.
As it is often difficult to differentiate poisonous mushrooms from edible varieties based on appearance alone, people should avoid eating wild mushrooms altogether, the FDA said.
People who feel ill after eating mushrooms should seek medical attention immediately to avoid further complications, it said.
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