We all have our own ideas about dangerous foods. Most of us jump to the ideas of exotic foods during our travels but in reality, this is not the case. The following list was made considering poisonous produce and hygienically unsound dishes. However, it is the most seemingly innocuous foods could land you in the hospital.
The 13 Dangerous Foods
- Cherry Pits: Food safety professionals have highly recommended people to spit out cherry seeds. They contain the poisonous compound hydrogen cyanide. The same can be said for other stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots. But don’t worry too much about it killing you… unless you eat hundreds of stone fruit a day.
- Pufferfish: Pufferfish a notorious for their poisonous spikes when alive. They are equally poisonous when deadly. The Japanese people have it as a delicacy but in most other countries, pufferfish is banned for consumption. Unless cooked correctly, the pufferfish is 1200 times more deadly than cyanide.
- Sardinian Maggot Cheese: Even the name is scary. Also known as Casu Marzu, it is a traditional cheese that is extra-fermented by live maggots that partially decompose the cheese.
- Hot Dogs: We all love a good sausage sizzle. A trip to Bunnings is not a real trip to Bunnings without it! But it is the biggest cause of choking-related incidents in children under three. Be sure to chew it properly before swallowing.
- Alfalfa Sprouts: Many know about this one, but this is definitely a dangerous food. Alfalfa sprouts are the perfect environment for bacterial growth. Damp and humid? TICK! The sprouts have been the cause of 30 separate foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States in the past 20 years.
- Raw Baby Octopus: This dish is meant to be eaten while it’s still squiriming. Known as Sannakji in Korea, this traditional dish is killed by the sushi chef but the nerve activity allows the octopus to still wriggle. The suction cups could attach to your throat as you swallow. This has caused six people to die on average from choking on it.
- Shellfish: Undercooked or raw shellfish is dangerous. This is because they can absorb harmful microbes or bacteria from the sea. They should always be cooked. Not only that, shellfish is one of the most common allergies.
- Unpasteurised Cheese: This is made out of raw milk. Unpasteurised milk contains all the harmful pathogens and bacteria that can cause a food safety scandal. Cheese made in this way is so dangerous that it is banned in America.
- Bagels: This New York favourite has caused many to be injured. Not because of the food itself but due to the preparation method. It was reported that around 2000 people were sent to ER due to bagel-related injuries in 2011 around America!
- Green Potatoes: New sprouts of potato plants contain a dangerous toxin. This toxin, solanine, causes serious illness when consumed in large quantities. Like stone fruits, you have to eat a lot of it before you get sick. But better still to avoid it.
- Ackee: A traditional Jamaican fruit, the fruit is ripe when it’s red. But when the fruit is yellow, it is full of hypoglycin A. It’s level of toxin could result in vomiting, hypoglycemia, or even death. Not only that, ackee’s black seeds are always poisonous.
- Almonds and cashews: The raw versions of these popular nuts are full of cyanide. They need to go through full heat treatment to remove the toxins.
- Kidney Beans: Like almonds or cashews, never eat kidney beans raw. They contain a toxic agent called phytohaemagglutnin. As many as a handful of beans could bring on symptoms like vomiting and headaches. Properly cooking it removes the toxin.
Were you surprised by some of these dangerous foods? What other dangerous foods will you have on your own personal list?
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