Only purchase commercial mushroom to avoid food poisoning - UM lecturer

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Science and Marine Environment senior lecturer Dr Aqilah Mohammad said this was because not all mushrooms that looked beautiful and big were safe for consumption.

"Each species of mushroom contains different toxins. Toxins or poisons from wild mushrooms can cause irritating symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and there are also toxins that can cause hallucinations and disorientation.

"The most worrying part is that the toxins can lead to death if not treated immediately. Not everyone is an expert in identifying the species of mushrooms that can be consumed, so the best way is to buy commercial mushrooms only," Dr Aqilah said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.

On Wednesday, a local media reported that a family of nine in Kampung Nyiur, Paka near Dungun, suffered from vomiting, including vomiting blood, after consuming mushrooms that are believed to be poisonous last week.

In the Nov 8 incident, Nurul Musfirah Ghazali, 32, her 36-year-old husband Muhammad Nurhadi and their seven children, aged between four and 13, were treated for three days at the Dungun Hospital.