In light of the high profile mushroom poisoning case in Victoria's South Gippsland region the Australian Mushroom Growers Association has given consumers an assurance commercially grown Australian mushrooms are completely safe to eat.
There has been considerable media coverage on the deaths of three people to this point after a family lunch at Leongatha where the dead ate a Beef Wellington contaminated with poisonous mushrooms.
The cook is reported to have said the mushrooms used were button mushrooms from the supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian grocer.
The AMGA said there was no way that poisonous mushrooms could grow in commercial operations growing the popular Agaricus Bisporus species, which in its various growth stages includes popular culinary mushrooms such as white button, flat, Swiss brown and portobello mushrooms.
The highly toxic Death Cap mushroom will only grow in the wild, generally under broadleaf trees such as oaks, elms and birches.
The AMGA said consumers looking for safe fungi products should always buy from a trusted retailer, including supermarkets, greengrocers or a quality farmers' market.
It also noted that foraged mushrooms were difficult to verify in terms of safety.
"Some wild mushrooms are poisonous, it is not worth the risk picking and eating mushrooms grown in the wild," the AMGA said in its statement.
"The only mushrooms you can be sure are safe are fresh, Australian grown mushrooms bought from a trusted retailer."
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
