Few people know that mushrooms are suspected of being carcinogenic. The Swedish Food Agency recommends cooking – and no more than 2.5 kilos per year.
– Mushrooms in particular are a bit special because studies have shown that they are mutagenic, says Michael Krikorev, mycologist and environmental analyst at Sweden’s University of Agricultural Sciences SLU.
Wild mushrooms have started to pop up in the forest and on the ground, and the mushroom pickers have already started to set out in what looks to be a really good mushroom year. There are a couple of things to consider with the mushrooms, says Michael Krikorev, mycologist at SLU.
The first thing is not to eat too much.
– Mushrooms in particular are a bit special because it has been seen in studies that they are mutagenic, which can be equated with being carcinogenic.
Suspected carcinogen
All types of mushrooms, including Portobello, contain phenylhydrazines. It is a substance that is suspected of being carcinogenic, which means that the Swedish Food Agency has recommendations for both the purchased and wild mushrooms.
To reduce the risk of cancer, one should not eat more than 2-2.5 kilos per year, which the Swedish Food Agency considers normal consumption. With normal consumption, the risk of negative health effects is very low.
– Risk assessment is always difficult, there is much that is carcinogenic in our surroundings and in our food. Mushrooms should not be considered poisonous. There is still a small or almost negligible risk if you eat small amounts, says Michael Krikorev.
Other mushrooms, such as chanterelles and Karl-Johan, belong to a different genus and do not contain phenylhydrazines.
Not a beginner mushroom
The second is that it should be cooked. When mushrooms are cooked, much of the phenylhydrazine disappears.
– In general, I agree that mushrooms should be cooked, and cooked properly. There are many substances in mushrooms that are unsuitable for our stomachs.
The third is that you must have good knowledge if you are to pick yourself.
– The mushrooms are a tricky group. There are over 40 varieties in Sweden and some are mildly toxic. It is absolutely not a beginner mushroom. Then there is also white fly agaric, which is the worst mushroom to be confused with.
The Swedish Food Agency: How to reduce the dangerous substance
To reduce the level of phenylhydrazines in mushrooms, you can cook, boil, fry, grill, the mushroom before eating it. Boiling water should be poured away. Even normal freezing followed by thawing – but not freeze-drying – reduces the amount of phenylhydrazine in the mushroom, writes the Swedish Food Agency.
Canned mushrooms contain significantly lower levels than fresh mushrooms. In order to further reduce the intake of phenylhydrazines, one can avoid using the shovel in the jar in cooking.
Source: Swedish Food Agency