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Please Don’t Eat the Daffodils – Supermarkets in Britain have reportedly been asked to make sure daffodils are kept separate from fruit and vegetables in a bid to prevent customers mistakenly eating the poisonous plants.
Public Health England has written to all major stores advising that shoppers who have English as a second language are at risk of confusing the bulbs and stems with spring onions.
Daffodils can also be mistaken for vegetables used in Chinese cooking.
Professor Paul Cosford, medical director at Public Health England, said: “Daffodils are dangerous if eaten and poisoning can occur as a result.”
Cases of poisoning linked to daffodils and narcissi numbered 27 in the UK last year.
There have been 63 suspected cases of food poisoning from eating daffodils in the past six years.
Professor Cosford highlighted a case in Bristol three years ago when ten shoppers needed hospital treatment for severe vomiting after cooking and eating daffodils, thinking they were edible vegetables.
During the 2012 Bristol daffodil poisonings, Dr Mark Evans of the South West health protection unit warned: “Daffodils are toxic and severe vomiting and diarrhoea can occur if eaten by mistake.
“Although it is very unpleasant, most people will recover fully without treatment.”
He said daffodil stalks and unopened bulbs could be confused with Chinese chives, which are often used to make oriental dumplings.
Animal charity Blue Cross has previously warned of the risk the flowers can pose to pets.
It said not all the bulb is toxic but just 15g of the dangerous part is enough to kill a dog.
Agencies/Canadajournal
