After a recent spate of news reports of mushroom poisoning, Poles are more careful when out in the woods picking fungi, shows a poll commissioned for Polish Radio.
The Homo Homini Institute pollsters found that 29 percent of respondents said they were more careful when gathering and preparing wild mushrooms for consumption - 38 percent said they were as careful as always.
Thirty one percent said they never pick or eat wild mushrooms.
The survey comes in the wake of the case of six year-old Tomek who had to have a liver transplant after being fed wild mushrooms. Staff at the children’s health centre in Warsaw say that the condition of the boy has improved but his breathing is still being aided by a respirator.
Head of the Darz Grzyb mushroom lovers’ association, Krzysztof Batko, advises that it is safest to gather only those mushrooms which have a sponge-like underside.
The most dangerous members of the mushroom species, and those which are most often mistaken for edible ones, have gills on the underside of the caps. (ek)
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