Rural Development Administration urges caution against wild mushroom poisoning in fall

On the 7th, the Rural Development Administration warned people to pay special attention to poisoning accidents caused by consuming wild mushrooms as the fall season increases in adult cats, cutting grass, and hiking.

In cases of wild mushroom poisoning, the damage often increases when one person shares the mushrooms he or she collected with family or neighbors.

In fact, last year, residents in Jeju, Haenam in Jeollanam-do, and Wanju in Jeollabuk-do who shared wild mushrooms received hospital treatment for symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain.

It is difficult for the average person to distinguish between the type of mushroom and whether it is edible or not just by its appearance.

In particular, there are cases where edible mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms grow together in the same place, so it is dangerous to judge based on past experience.

If you have eaten wild mushrooms or are not sure what type of mushroom you have eaten, you should immediately call 119 or a medical institution, even if you do not have symptoms.

According to the Rural Development Administration, there are currently a total of 2,389 species of mushrooms growing naturally in Korea, of which only 418 species, or 17%, are confirmed to be edible.

Noh Hyeong-jun, head of the mushroom department at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, said, "The timing and location of mushrooms can vary depending on weather conditions, so you should not judge whether they are edible based solely on past experience or the guidance of an artificial intelligence (AI) app." He added, "Do not collect or eat wild mushrooms on the way to adult cats and beolcho, and only eat cultivated mushrooms that have been confirmed to be safe."