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home / 世界杯决赛2022

australians urged not to buy contaminated spinach products in a bid to get high

at least 200 people have had adverse symptoms after eating spinach believed to be contaminated by nightshade

by angela stelmakowich

dec 21 2022
read time 3 minute read
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it turns out some people might be open to eating their spinach … as long as it gets them high. unfortunately, adventurous sorts opting to test that theory could end up sickened, as was the case for dozens of people in australia who recently consumed spinach thought to be contaminated with nightshade.

earlier this month, food standards australia new zealand (fsanz) issued a national recall urging consumers to avoid eating a number of baby spinach products because of potential contamination. the spinach in question was from riviera farms.

fsanz advised consumers to dispose of the recalled products that were reportedly sold at woolworths, coles, aldi and costco.
the queensland government reported dec. 18 that 26 calls had been received at the poisons information centre, with affected individuals experiencing a range of symptoms. “cases of possible food-related toxic reactions have been reported across the state.”
reported symptoms have included delirium or confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, dilated pupils, flushed face, fever and dry mouth and skin. if the symptoms are severe, the government recommended immediate medical attention.

while the aforementioned symptoms likely have limited appeal for most people, the guardian reports australians are being urged not to purchase the contaminated products in a bid to get high.

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effects are individual, but being buzzed on cannabis, for example, might result in positive feelings of euphoria, relaxation, amusement and creativity, according to healthline . getting high on magic mushrooms might inspire awe of the people and things around the user, increased energy and plenty of excitement, per frank , a national, anti-drug advisory service out of the u.k.

the guardian reports the spinach farmer confirmed that testing on weed plants, “which can have health consequences if consumed,” is currently underway. it is believed the weeds were growing nearby some baby spinach.

although the recall notice does not mention weeds — citing only “potential contamination with an unsafe plant material” — brett summerell, chief scientist at the royal botanical garden in sydney, told the guardian he suspects nightshades could be the culprits.

these vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and white potatoes, according to real simple , a publication focused on offering practical, useful and clever solutions to everyday life . all of those vegetables belong to the solanaceae plant family, which also includes belladonna , whose alkaloids can cause disorientation, short-term memory loss and death, and mandrake, which “ can cause hallucinations, delusions , seizures and even death.”

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summerell told the guardian that plenty of plants that are potato or tomato relatives could produce the reported reactions of people who ate the spinach.

he suspects nightshade, though, because its dark green leaves when young don’t look that much different from spinach.
that being the case, summerell went on to caution people to avoid buying the contaminated products in search of a cheap high or, more randomly, try their luck with eating weeds in general.

“whether it’s a mushroom or whether it’s the sorts of weeds, if you don’t know what you’re eating, don’t eat it,” he told the guardian .

at least 200 people are believed to have had adverse symptoms after eating the spinach products, according to xinhua .

those ending up in hospital included a child, 9 news reported on dec. 18. at the time, at least 11 possible cases in queensland and at least 33 in new south wales required medical attention.

earlier this week, fsanx confirmed all affected products had been identified and recalled. the agency further confirmed the recalled products had been sourced from one producer with the spinach all located in one field.

fsanz ceo dr. sandra cuthbert reported that the national food regulation system worked collaboratively to identify the source of the affected baby spinach and related products. though incidents like these occur infrequently, the press release states, “this incident has shown the food regulation system is ready to respond when they do.”

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investigations regarding the origin of this incident and exact nature of the contaminant are ongoing, fsanz adds.

we’d love to hear from you. get in touch with feedback and story tips at thegrowthop@postmedia.com

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