Researchers used "DNA barcoding techniques to test what mushroom species made up 16 food products that listed “wild mushrooms” on their labels." "They found 28 species of mushrooms across all 16 food products. Almost all products that claimed to have wild mushrooms consisted of cultivated species, including oyster, shiitake, or portabella mushrooms. Only five products had contents that were accurately described on the label, and some included species that likely have yet to be described in academic literature."
"One packet of dried wild mushrooms from the online retailer contained a species from a group of fungi that includes the “Death Cap,” a notoriously poisonous mushroom known to cause renal failure in humans..... The authors contacted the online retailer to inform them of the potential dangers of the product. As of the paper’s publication, the dried mushrooms are still for sale. " Question - why didn't the researchers contact the FDA????
Regulating the practice of harvesting wild mushrooms is not easy. Much depends on the harvester being able to identify safe edible mushrooms from those that are dangerous, and even deadly. In the end, much is left to the regulatory authority to determine.
From the US Food Code (2017)
3-201.16 Wild Mushrooms.
(A) Except as specified in ¶ (B) of this section, mushroom species picked in the wild shall not be offered for sale or service by a FOOD ESTABLISHMENT unless the FOOD ESTABLISHMENT has been APPROVED to do so.
(B) This section does not apply to:
(1) Cultivated wild mushroom species that are grown, harvested, and processed in an operation that is regulated by the FOOD regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over the operation; or
(2) Wild mushroom species if they are in packaged form and are the product of a FOOD PROCESSING PLANT that is regulated by the FOOD regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over the plant.
From the Food Code Annex 3
In addition, the CFP has guidance material titled “Draft Model Guidance for Wild
Harvested Mushrooms” posted on their website at http://www.foodprotect.org so state
and local regulatory authorities can use the information to develop and implement their
own wild harvested mushroom program. The guidance document is still a work in
progress.
https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/wild-mushrooms/
Food claiming to have ‘wild mushrooms’ rarely does
Lisa Potter, research communications, University of Utah Communications
AUGUST 20, 2021
Harvesting wild mushrooms requires an expert eye to distinguish between the delicious and the inedible. Misidentification can have a range of consequences, from a disgusting taste and mild illness to organ failure and even death. Culinary wild mushrooms staples, such as truffles or porcini, require symbiotic relationships with specific plants in the ecosystem that make it impractical or impossible to produce them commercially. This means they can only be harvested from their natural habitat, which is why porcini and truffles are often so expensive. Many food producers opt for common fungi that can be cultivated easily and grown in large quantities, such as oyster, shiitake, and portabella mushrooms.
The United States has minimal regulations around the harvest and sale of wild fungi. Food products that tout “wild mushrooms” as ingredients are often vague and non-specific, making it impossible to know if the products are truly wild or just cultivated varieties, or even if they contain poisonous mushrooms harmful to humans.
In a new study, researchers from the University of Utah (U) and the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) used DNA barcoding techniques to test what mushroom species made up 16 food products that listed “wild mushrooms” on their labels. The authors sourced soups, dried mushrooms, powdered mushrooms, pasta sauces, and flavor enhancers from local grocery stores around Salt Lake City, Utah, and a large online retailer.
They found 28 species of mushrooms across all 16 food products. Almost all products that claimed to have wild mushrooms consisted of cultivated species, including oyster, shiitake, or portabella mushrooms. Only five products had contents that were accurately described on the label, and some included species that likely have yet to be described in academic literature. One packet of dried wild mushrooms from the online retailer contained a species from a group of fungi that includes the “Death Cap,” a notoriously poisonous mushroom known to cause renal failure in humans.
“If you looked at the reviews on this product, a surprising number of people wrote that the mushrooms ‘made me violently ill,’ or that they had ‘never been so sick in my life,’” said Dalley Cutler, lead author of the paper and a recent biology graduate at the U. “No one is checking if the mushrooms are what the labels say they are.”
The authors contacted the online retailer to inform them of the potential dangers of the product. As of the paper’s publication, the dried mushrooms are still for sale. The mislabeling across the wide range of products could be due of fraud, negligence, or just a lack of awareness.
“There’s an ignorance about mushrooms in general—in food products, museum collections, the definition for wild mushrooms are all over the place,” said Alexander Bradshaw, co-author of the study and doctoral student at the U. “One package of dried mushrooms said it contained porcini, defined by a characteristic spongy texture underneath the cap. Just by looking at it, we knew it was untrue—the mushrooms had gills underneath their caps. It seems like if you can dry it down, you can just slap a porcini label on it.”
The authors say their results are inevitable partly because policies that regulate the international food supply chain vary wildly. Some parts of Europe require a license to collect edible wild mushrooms, but the guidelines differ between countries. In the U.S., state governments are responsible for regulating commercial wild mushrooms sales, but only 31 states have any regulations at all, according to a National Survey of State Regulation of Wild Mushroom Foraging for Retail Sale.
Another reason for inconsistencies is because the field of mycology is vastly understudied.
3-201.16 Wild Mushrooms.
Over 5000 species of fleshy mushrooms grow naturally in North America. The vast majority have never been tested for toxicity. It is known that about 15 species are deadly and another 60 are toxic to humans whether they are consumed raw or cooked. An additional 36 species are suspected of being poisonous, whether raw or cooked. At least 40 other species are poisonous if eaten raw, but are safe after proper cooking. Some wild mushrooms that are extremely poisonous may be difficult to distinguish from edible species. In most parts of the country there is at least one organization that includes individuals who can provide assistance with both identification and program design. Governmental agencies, universities, and mycological societies are examples of such groups.
Regulatory authorities have expressed their difficulty in regulating wild harvested mushrooms at retail. There are many different approaches in regulating the sale and service of wild harvested mushrooms. The differences in approach could be due to geography, the type of wild mushrooms that typically grow in a particular region and/or local/state laws that are enforced. The Conference for Food Protection (CFP) has attempted to develop a national model or standards for regulatory programs to address and recognize wild harvested mushroom identification. The difficulty in trying to get consensus on national model/standards lies in the question of what is the best national model/standard available that state/local regulatory authorities can apply in a meaningful way to ensure wild harvested mushrooms sold at retail are obtained from a safe source.
With the change in the codified text, the regulatory authority will have the flexibility to apply their laws and/or policies for wild harvested mushroom identification. At a minimum, when developing a wild harvest mushroom identification program, the following elements should be addressed:
- Developing resources & criteria to select wild mushroom species for service or sale,
- Establishing record-keeping and traceability to assure safety of wild harvested mushrooms,
- Written buyer specifications that include:
- a. Identification by the scientific name and the common name of the mushroom species,
- b. A statement that the mushroom was identified while in the fresh states,
- c. The name and contact information of the person who identified the mushroom and the mushroom seller, and
- d. A statement as to the qualifications and training of the identifier, specifically related to mushroom identification.
- Development of qualifications and training curriculum that could be used for further training of mushroom identifiers
Harvested Mushrooms” posted on their website at http://www.foodprotect.org so state
and local regulatory authorities can use the information to develop and implement their
own wild harvested mushroom program. The guidance document is still a work in
progress.
https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/wild-mushrooms/
Food claiming to have ‘wild mushrooms’ rarely does
Lisa Potter, research communications, University of Utah Communications
AUGUST 20, 2021
Harvesting wild mushrooms requires an expert eye to distinguish between the delicious and the inedible. Misidentification can have a range of consequences, from a disgusting taste and mild illness to organ failure and even death. Culinary wild mushrooms staples, such as truffles or porcini, require symbiotic relationships with specific plants in the ecosystem that make it impractical or impossible to produce them commercially. This means they can only be harvested from their natural habitat, which is why porcini and truffles are often so expensive. Many food producers opt for common fungi that can be cultivated easily and grown in large quantities, such as oyster, shiitake, and portabella mushrooms.
The United States has minimal regulations around the harvest and sale of wild fungi. Food products that tout “wild mushrooms” as ingredients are often vague and non-specific, making it impossible to know if the products are truly wild or just cultivated varieties, or even if they contain poisonous mushrooms harmful to humans.
In a new study, researchers from the University of Utah (U) and the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) used DNA barcoding techniques to test what mushroom species made up 16 food products that listed “wild mushrooms” on their labels. The authors sourced soups, dried mushrooms, powdered mushrooms, pasta sauces, and flavor enhancers from local grocery stores around Salt Lake City, Utah, and a large online retailer.
They found 28 species of mushrooms across all 16 food products. Almost all products that claimed to have wild mushrooms consisted of cultivated species, including oyster, shiitake, or portabella mushrooms. Only five products had contents that were accurately described on the label, and some included species that likely have yet to be described in academic literature. One packet of dried wild mushrooms from the online retailer contained a species from a group of fungi that includes the “Death Cap,” a notoriously poisonous mushroom known to cause renal failure in humans.
“If you looked at the reviews on this product, a surprising number of people wrote that the mushrooms ‘made me violently ill,’ or that they had ‘never been so sick in my life,’” said Dalley Cutler, lead author of the paper and a recent biology graduate at the U. “No one is checking if the mushrooms are what the labels say they are.”
The authors contacted the online retailer to inform them of the potential dangers of the product. As of the paper’s publication, the dried mushrooms are still for sale. The mislabeling across the wide range of products could be due of fraud, negligence, or just a lack of awareness.
“There’s an ignorance about mushrooms in general—in food products, museum collections, the definition for wild mushrooms are all over the place,” said Alexander Bradshaw, co-author of the study and doctoral student at the U. “One package of dried mushrooms said it contained porcini, defined by a characteristic spongy texture underneath the cap. Just by looking at it, we knew it was untrue—the mushrooms had gills underneath their caps. It seems like if you can dry it down, you can just slap a porcini label on it.”
The authors say their results are inevitable partly because policies that regulate the international food supply chain vary wildly. Some parts of Europe require a license to collect edible wild mushrooms, but the guidelines differ between countries. In the U.S., state governments are responsible for regulating commercial wild mushrooms sales, but only 31 states have any regulations at all, according to a National Survey of State Regulation of Wild Mushroom Foraging for Retail Sale.
Another reason for inconsistencies is because the field of mycology is vastly understudied.
“About 95% of fungal species on Earth are undescribed. Fungi are so poorly documented, how do you regulate something that is virtually unknown?” said Bryn Dentinger, senior author of the paper, curator of mycology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and associate professor of biology at the U. “This puts human health at risk, but it also puts our ecosystems at risk. Around the world, unsustainable harvesting practices could put rare and threatened species at risk of extinction.”
There are still safe ways to enjoy wild mushrooms, the researchers say. Just know who you’re buying from.
“I don’t want people to read this and be scared to eat porcini and other wild edible mushrooms, they are delicious,” said Dalley. “This study looked only at packaged products, not locally harvested wild mushrooms. I would encourage people that enjoy porcini and other wild edibles to only purchase from local sellers that are qualified in the identification of wild mushrooms.”
The study was published online in the journal Peer J Life & Environment on Aug. 2, 2021.
There are still safe ways to enjoy wild mushrooms, the researchers say. Just know who you’re buying from.
“I don’t want people to read this and be scared to eat porcini and other wild edible mushrooms, they are delicious,” said Dalley. “This study looked only at packaged products, not locally harvested wild mushrooms. I would encourage people that enjoy porcini and other wild edibles to only purchase from local sellers that are qualified in the identification of wild mushrooms.”
The study was published online in the journal Peer J Life & Environment on Aug. 2, 2021.
No comments:
Post a Comment