Do Not Eat Wild Mushrooms on Autumn Hiking Trails!

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has urged special caution against poisoning accidents caused by wild mushrooms during outdoor activities such as autumn hiking.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 22nd, a total of 6 food poisoning incidents caused by natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms, poisonous plants (herbs), and pufferfish occurred over five years from 2015 to 2019, with a total of 41 patients reported.

In particular, 4 out of the 6 total incidents occurred in autumn, showing that the number of patients caused by natural toxins is unusually high in autumn throughout the year, accounting for 82.9% (34 people) of the cases during this period. Approximately 6.8 patients occurred per incident, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained that natural toxin incidents are more dangerous because they often affect multiple people who share the food with family or acquaintances rather than poisoning from eating alone.

According to the national standard mushroom list, 2,123 species of mushrooms grow domestically, of which about 20%, approximately 426 species, are edible. The remaining 80% (1,697 species) are known to be poisonous or of unknown edibility. Furthermore, even among the 426 species known to be edible, the shape and color of mushrooms can vary slightly depending on the surrounding environment, making it very difficult to distinguish them from poisonous mushrooms.

Experts warn that relying solely on incorrect folk beliefs about wild mushrooms and eating them can be dangerous due to potential poisoning, and they urge caution to avoid consuming mushrooms growing in the wild.

In particular, indiscriminately harvesting forest products such as mushrooms in the mountains is illegal, and under relevant laws, violators may face up to 5 years imprisonment or fines up to 50 million won, so caution is required.

Kim Jong-han, Director of the Prevention and Safety Policy Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, emphasized, "There are often cases of picking and eating wild mushrooms during outdoor activities such as hiking, but even experts find it difficult to distinguish whether wild mushrooms are safe to eat," adding, "Please do not eat any mushrooms other than those safely cultivated by farms."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.