Poison alert for exotic foods

The growth in popularity of exotic foods could lead to a new generation of "wives' tales" as New Zealanders learn to avoid natural poisons which occur in some foods.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand has issued a warning that raw cassava and fresh bamboo shoots must be prepared properly to avoid cyanide poisoning.

Cassava, a tropical root similar to yams, is often used in Pacific Island cooking and bamboo shoots are commonly eaten as part of Asian cuisine.

Incorrect preparation of both foods can lead to exposure to naturally occurring hydrogen cyanide.

FSANZ advises people to peel and slice cassava before it is baked, boiled or roasted.

The outer leaves and fibrous tissue at the base of bamboo should be removed, before thinly slicing the shoots and boiling them for eight to 10 minutes in lightly salted water.

Jenny Bishop, of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, says that no cases of poisoning from cassava or bamboo shoots have been reported in New Zealand. But two years ago a woman was hospitalised after eating apricot kernels.

"There's a substance in the kernels that, if you consume too many, can turn into hydrogen cyanide, which is obviously a poison," she said.

Although hydrogen cyanide poisoning could be fatal, it was very unusual for people to eat apricot kernels.

"The key message is that there are many foods in which there are naturally occurring toxins.

"A lot of things we are taught by our parents - such as don't eat rhubarb leaves and boil kidney beans before you eat them - are there to prevent poisoning."

The authority was planning to include bamboo and cassava in its natural toxins fact sheet, Ms Bishop said.

There was a greater variety of food now available in New Zealand.

"It is important that people understand how to prepare these foods correctly because there are different things to be aware of."

- NZPA