Toronto Public Health warns to wash & cook fiddleheads to prevent illness
Posted May 9, 2012 7:32 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you plan on eating fiddleheads this spring, make sure they are thoroughly washed and properly cooked — boiled for 15 minutes or steamed for 12 minutes.
Toronto Public Health said there have been several cases of people becoming ill after eating improperly prepared fiddleheads.
An unidentified natural toxin in the ostrich fern causes symptoms, which can include diarrahea, nausea, abdominal cramps and headaches.
Symptoms of illness appear within 30 minutes to 12 hours of eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads and can last for as long as three days.
Experts said if you are eating fiddleheads, remove as much of the husk as possible before cooking them and never eat them raw. Also, wash the fiddleheads well using fresh, cold water and throw away the water used for boiling or steaming fiddleheads, as it may contain the toxin.
People who believe that they may have become ill as a result of eating fiddleheads should contact Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600 during business hours or after hours at 311, or see a doctor.
