New report sheds light on deaths from morel mushrooms

Morel mushrooms, known for their smooth, buttery flavor caused an outbreak of illness in Montana at a sushi restaurant.

[@patrickgrolemund545]

So while the story spends half its time blaming the mushroom the real reason is the sushi restaurant decided to not cook them and this has never been recommended even for the standard white button mushroom. Mushrooms are grown often in sawdust, soil, or manure or a mixture of all three. Anything that’s popping up from this material is going to have bacteria and other pathogens on it. Cook mushrooms. Period dot. It’s pretty simple. Morels are great since they are so easily identified and recognized. Even the false morel is easily identified. True morels are hollow. False morels are not. It’s the one mushroom that even a novice can safely gather with little risk.

[@pfroncole1]

False morels are commonly eaten out here in the West and there's no record of anyone dieing from consuming them though it's now advised to just leave them alone. While it's ez to tell false from true morels, people still confuse them and lots of folks continue eating the false morels.

[@user-dq6pm6sg8z]

West as in California?

[@mdleweight]

Restaurant owner = 100 percent responsible.

[@lisag4164]

Cooked thoroughly that's the key. It's on the restaurant not cooking thoroughly

[@PolishedButtons]

Eat wild mushrooms at my own risk!? What risk is there if you know what you're picking and you're cooking it thoroughly. I don't like the scare tactics

[@Vscustomprinting]

Nothing wrong with lots of caution, nothing is ever 100% safe, but thats irrelevant, which is part of the chaos of life.. But these are sac fungi, not technically mushrooms

[@Wcanada3177]

Been picking and eating mushrooms off the farm for years never once sick. Eaten them raw many times.

[@inhumanfilth681]

​@@Wcanada3177cubensies are fine to eat raw lol dont cook em

[@jorgesanchez5097]

You're dumb false morels are toxic and many people mistake them. But everything is a scare tactic when you're an idiot.

[@charlesrouse5503]

Wasn't wild said in the beginning cultivated and imported... Know what you are eating morels need cooked as do most mushrooms, as all mushrooms have some what would be considered toxins and can be worse depending on what they are grown in. I'd be careful eating any imported mushrooms from certain counties

[@danaparsons1990]

I agree it's a scare tactic! If you know to cook them well like has been instructed from people that has ate them for years. And with all food refrigerated when needed. Also I would never want to eat these at a restaurant! You have no idea how they have been prepared. If you choose to eat wild mushrooms cook and prepare yourself!

[@kelkilkat]

The general rule is to cook all edible mushrooms, it brings out the flavor and I believe makes the nutrients more bioavailable, plus it kills any unwanted bugs, bacteria, etc. Eating any mushrooms raw can be risky and dangerous

[@wendyjohnson6483]

How sad that people died and even that others got sick. You are correct, though. Mushrooms need to obtain a certain level of heat for the nutrients to be bioavalable.

[@nikopaseman7147]

The issue is only that they didn't cook them. It's not even likely that they had the wrong mushroom, as the morel look-alikes are notably different, especially when cutting them in a kitchen. But raw? No. Don't do that.

[@rman229]

I will do what i please... I am an american 🇺🇸🦅

[@richardheckemeyer3666]

​@@rman229and everything that's wrong with this country to.. And as an American I can say this guy definitely doesn't speak for all of us. Im man enough to know I can do what I want but smart enough to take advice.

[@rman229]

@@richardheckemeyer3666 Maybe ur right Mr. meyer ✝️ I love god and country 🙏🇺🇸

[@nickparker5200]

Right it's frustrating watching news coverage of this they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about they really should have had a mycologist come on. Like why didn't they. And how did they do a video and not even tell us how they were served whether they were cooked or raw, and to the restaurant, I'm a cook. How tf did you serve them raw???

[@AMcEwen]

As an avid moral hunter, who has been around the USA just for that beautiful mushroom, when you are clueless like this "raw fish shop" yeah, you will hurt people. Every mushroom bible/guide says never eat raw wild mushrooms.

[@johnb7966]

I have ate morels for 70 years and never got sick and I eat the first ones I find raw

[@Vscustomprinting]

Doesnt change the fact that theres some risk, and some alertness to temp and how chemical reactions can encourage problems.. Its the same with fermented foods.. You cant get too casual with it at a public place, or itll invite problems that make everything look bad 😔 If only life werent chaos, ey?

[@gantz4u]

Logical fallacy appeal to majority. Here youre appealing to the amount of time you did something wrong. When this is the 2nd recent case of a missoula montana morel incident. The 2nd incident is from an experienced and seasoned morel hunter, with 70 years of experience, who unfortunately passed away recently due to undercook morels and possible toxin buildup from years of exposure. Unless youre the guy that passed.

[@brianw3822]

They said cultivated, imported, not cooked properly.!!! Sad that there was such a problem.😢

[@kristinebailey6554]

I've been eating morel mushrooms for 60 years! Never ate them raw however and never got ill, ditto for my 67 aunts uncles and cousins.

[@alro11]

Dave’s needs to own the facts 2 people DIED! And the city restaurant inspectors aren’t doing their job!

[@williamwaters4506]

When I eat in a restaurant I never get any dish that has mushrooms in it. I read that this restaurant cooked the mushrooms by pouring how water on them. This will not neutralize the poison in the mushroom.

[@karenwhite9493]

Interesting it was a sushi restaurant, I've eaten morels for many years no issues..

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

But Sushi, yes ma'am.

[@NotALizardPerson81]

Whoever made the mistake belongs in jail and the restaurant should lose it's license. How many loved ones are now missing those two people?

[@AAPHomestead]

SMH

[@pahanin2480]

Everyone named dave must be held accountable

[@philc8575]

So you get sick on 20- 30 minutes, but yet the restaurant made people sick for TWO MONTHS? Great sleuthing and Dept of Health! SMH!

[@tradergirl7067]

wtf would they serve them raw? any chef would know better than that! so careless

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

I mean they serve raw fish, so...

[@Julian.Owl.Sedletsky]

Maybe bad substrate, but if you boil and drain, no problem. And we talk about cultivated mushrooms, my point- substrate is problem.

[@pfroncole1]

Truth is you have no control over what may have been harvested along with other edible wild mushrooms when you get them at a restaurant or even a market. Odd story, most serious mushroom poisonings take a lot longer than 20 minutes to have any really serious effects.

[@marsmott1]

Infuriating; just like many other non-mushroom items one has to know how to treat and cook food to serve it :-/

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Thank you. I came to the comments to say this if no one else said it first. It's no different than knowing we can get salmonella from chicken. Or ecoli from beef, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

[@rosettaturner5047]

I have always ate t Morel mushrooms first I soak them with salt water to clean them then I mix a flour batter I mix flour egg milk salt pepper I get my oil hot in pan deep fly them when done I put them on paper towel then the dip I mix sour cream and horseradish together so good!

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Don't mind me, girl. I'm just taking notes.

[@j.j.9123]

Just like my mother cooked them.

[@cherryfincham6705]

I'm looking towards who the supplier was to the restaurant and if the they were tainted by someone or unsafe handling. It's not the mushrooms ,I've ate them all my life and never gotten sick.

[@drpoundsign]

Eating Sushi (fish or fungi) in Montana?? Isn't that a Bit like ordering a Sirloin steak in Mumbia??

[@nelsonschwab7167]

SMH it took too long for this to be the story

[@toddcline7510]

Cultivated !?

[@christopherc.9097]

This guy is amazing.They served raw MOREL mushrooms.If I'm correct, don't be amazed.You've had a lot of people sick then

[@user-vi2uf7vc3j]

Don't eat at a place called Dave's sushi

[@stephanieshelton7952]

CLEARLY stated "propagated imported morel Mushrooms" uncooked & the mycology

[@pfroncole1]

God only knows what may have been in with the morels. It's too common that some people include false morels with true. Pine mushrooms are harvested in large numbers and shipped often to Japan. Not at all hard to mistake them for an amaniita and that happens. It's also impossible to say if the mushrooms, though undercooked apparently, were to blame at all..while it's advised to always cook wild edibles well, it's also almost unheard of that anyone dies if they eat undercooked wild mushrooms.

[@monkfarm]

You have to cook morels for 8 to 10 minutes.

[@JOSEPHMATTHEWHOLLAND]

Kentuckians have been eating these forever I've never heard of this bull hockey 😂😂

[@ptudor63]

Cook them

[@tedtalksrock]

Ugh the “morel” of this story of avoid this delicacy at all cost.

[@zebalford3729]

Sounds to me like bacteria in the substrate probably only used the pasteurization tek and didn’t kill off all the bacteria

[@workhardplayhard801]

More people are sickened from eating mushrooms that have gone bad than from eating poisonous varieties. 🤷‍♂️ Probably should avoid eating spoiled food though, right ? Cultivated , is likely due to contamination . I cook ALL wild mushrooms except Amanita Jacksonii 😋 Definitely 1 of my favorites I have never had a problem with raw american Slender Ceasers. You do you 👋🙂

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Either cook or LemonTek. ❤

[@workhardplayhard801]

@lisawalker76 I am unfamiliar with this, but soon will be, thanks 👍.

[@jeremyxx11]

Here’s a thought; with all the mushroom species that are safe why not just leave morels alone, are they that good that they’re worth the risk of death?

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Bro, they ARE that good. I highly recommend.

[@pamcaldwell7055]

Oh yes

[@juliathackston6905]

Orrrrr just cook them 😂 do it every year for 39 years and I'm alive

[@jacobcarolan1172]

Yeah they are 100% worth any risk( there isn’t any)

[@artosbear]

This shed no effing light

[@iamLI3]

They making a huge hype…, but don’t desiccate the fact that it was “cultivated morels” whom a heck knew how did they grew them, with what chemicals (even if allowed chemicals, which they are using with every cultivated mushrooms, regardless of medicinal or other kinds)…, they also used (and ate) raw…, which is a no-no …, or at least was back in old country. Then they mention only wild mushrooms can make You sick…, but these people died from cultivated mushrooms 🤦‍♀ in my opinion this video has to do something with the industry whom cultivates mushrooms, they may feel the Lois of sales because of the wild mushrooms got popular over the decade… It’s a business trick….

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

So if we don't know the toxin, could it have been undercooked/raw fish, instead that made people sick? 😂 Or anything else in sushi?

[@AAPHomestead]

Sushi is disgusting anyway

[@Kane.Griffin]

Folks need a foraging license to sell mushrooms to restaurants. This is the restaurants fault not understanding proper way to cook.

[@karenwhite9493]

Cross contamination,,from sushi cooking.

[@Vscustomprinting]

Morels are not mushrooms yall, They are actually sac fungi!!!! Chillax

[@blakegrunwell5442]

Wasn’t the raw fish purchased from farm fed it’s own shit ?

[@jeremiebuzard5538]

Imports, Sushi & Raw. Here's your sign!

[@outdoorsmendeh]

You nailed it, sushi bar Imported food. I only eat raw food I harvested myself.

[@colddeadhands5167]

Sooooo........knock offs from Chyna

[@dirtmuppet5798]

Lol... let's talk about deaths from FDA approved things.

[@juliathackston6905]

They just approved genetic made chicken

[@aaronekker3250]

YOU CANT CULTIVATE A MOREL!!!

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Actually, it can be done. It's just very hard.

[@bobbobsaltynationberserker7685]

Too much sockie 😂

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Saki

[@bobbobsaltynationberserker7685]

@@Ash.Crow.Goddess yeah yeah spellcheck auto sucks

[@ronhat-nx6yq]

I do not eat mushrooms! EVER! Never have! Never will. Yep, I eat apples and watermelons.