We all need food to live, but some edible items have their caveats. While any food can spoil if proper safety measures aren’t observed, some foods come with unique hazards even when fresh. There are, of course, plenty of poisonous foods—like the “suicide fruit”in The White Lotus—but here, we focus on foods you typically can eat, but that can also be dangerous under certain circumstances. These risks may stem from improper preparation, specific varieties, or a higher likelihood of causing foodborne illness.
Here, we explore foods that require extra caution to ensure they remain safe to enjoy.
Red Kidney Beans
Red kidney beans are a key ingredient in most chilis. But they also contain the toxic lectin called phytohaemagglutinin, which can only be destroyed by cooking, according the FDA’s Bad Bug Book. While the FDA doesn’t site any deaths from red kidney bean poisoning, it says eating raw or undercooked kidney beans can cause severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The FDA also advises against the use of slow cookers as they don’t get hot enough to destroy phytohaemagglutinin.
Shellfish
Many delicacies make up the shellfish family, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, and mussels—many of which you’ll find in a seafood stew. But there are a couple of things about shellfish that can pose a threat.
Not only is a shellfish allergy a common food allergy, but shellfish, especially oysters, can harbor Vibrio, a bacterium that’s found in warm coastal water. In 2023, raw oysters made headlines for causing Vibrio infections and death. Proper cooking is the only way to kill Vibrio; hot sauce, lemon juice, or alcohol do not make oysters safe.
Elderberries
Elderberries are often thought to help with colds, but they can also be dangerous. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), raw or unripe elderberries contain substances that produce cyanide. This can cause reactions like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or more serious illnesses.
Fugu (Pufferfish)
You actually need training and a license to be able to prepare this fish, which is a delicacy in Japan. It contains tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that can kill if the fish isn’t prepared properly.
Cassava
Cassava, also known as yuca, is a starchy root veggie native to South America. It can be used to make cassava flour and tapioca, and can be prepared in a variety of ways—we love yuca fries. But cassava contains cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause cyanide poisoning if not prepared properly. Safe methods include peeling, soaking, fermenting, and cooking.
The cassava that’s typically sold at the store is of the sweet variety, which contains less of these glycosides, but still needs to be prepared properly. Consuming even sweet cassava improperly prepared can cause acute cyanide poisoning.
Mushrooms
Whether they’re sautéed in butter, tossed in risotto, or stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese, mushrooms are an earthy, meaty addition to any recipe. But it can be difficult to identify poisonous mushrooms from those that are safe to eat. That’s why the USDA doesn’t recommend foraging for wild mushrooms unless you are experienced.
San-nakji
San-nakji is a Korean dish of octopus tentacles. What makes this meal dangerous is the fact that the tentacles are often still moving when served and can cause choking. CNN has reported on deaths following the consumption of san-nakji.
Ackee
Native to West Africa, ackee fruit is also grown in the Caribbean. While unripe ackee should never be eaten, even the rind and seeds of ripe ackee can be dangerous, according to the FDA. This is because of the presence of hypoglycin A, a toxin that the FDA says can cause no symptoms to mild or severe symptoms and even death.
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