# Foods made out of potentially lethal ingredients **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473 "2017-03-05T14:49:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/21 "2017-03-06T13:39:44Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > Lutefisk–can it be fatal if the lye makes it too caustic? There’s not supposed to be any lye left when you put it in the pot or oven. I can find no information about people injured from eating dangerously caustic fish. I think the chef would find out ahead of time that it wasn’t prepared right when he put the fish in the pan and his skin sloughed off. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/22 "2017-03-06T15:19:56Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Kidney beans. Raw are toxic. Cooked from raw in a slow cooker can be even more toxic. They should be boiled for 30 minutes to deactivate the toxin. > > Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk This is completely frightening. My Dearly Beloved™ makes her Killah Chili exactly this way. With dry original beans, including kidney beans, thrown into the pot and cooked up, soaking up liquid as they go. No more, I say !!! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/23 "2017-03-06T15:28:33Z")
Not immediately lethal, but you might want to reconsider drinking that tea made from **sassafras** : > [@](#): > > Sassafras albidum is an important ingredient in some distinct foods of the United States. It is the main ingredient in traditional root beer and sassafras root tea, and ground leaves of sassafras are a distinctive additive in Louisiana Creole cuisine (see the article on filé powder, and a common thickening and flavoring agent in gumbo). Methods of cooking with sassafras combine this ingredient native to America with traditional North American, as well as European, culinary techniques, to create a unique blend of Creole cuisine, and are thought by some to be heavily influenced by a blend of cultures. > > … > > Sassafras leaves and flowers have also been used in salads, and to flavor fats or cure meats.[ > > … > Sassafras is no longer used in commercially produced root beer since sassafras oil was banned for use in commercially mass-produced foods and drugs by the FDA in 1960 due to health concerns > > … > > It is banned in the United States for use in commercially mass-produced foods and drugs by the FDA as a potential carcinogen.[19] > **[Sassafras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras)** > > Sassafras albidum > †Sassafras ashleyi > †Sassafras columbiana > †Sassafras hesperia > Sassafras randaiense > Sassafras tzumu > †Sassafras yabei > Pseudosassafras Lecomte > Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. The genus is distinguished by its aromatic properties, which have made the tree useful to humans. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/24 "2017-03-06T16:17:56Z")
[Rhubarb leaves are toxic.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb#Toxicity) Generally they aren’t used in the final food product though (just the stems), but then the same issue applies to fugu (i.e. you’re just not supposed to eat the toxic parts). [Pequi fruit (from Brazil)](http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2010/01/dangerous-fruit-pequi.html) isn’t exactly toxic, but if you eat it wrong, you’ll drive a bunch of spines into your gums, lips, tongue, and palate, often requiring assistance for removal. They’re not toxic per se, but I expect that such an injury, if left untreated, could result in a problematic infection. ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/25 "2017-03-06T17:11:21Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > Well,there’s sodium and chloride… And along those same lines… dihydrogen oxide. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/26 "2017-03-06T18:13:45Z")
A whole lot of foods are toxic without processing. Bitter cassava, Polynesian arrowroot, many some bean species, some varieties of sorghum, some cycad species, and probably others. Kernels of many species in the rose family are poisonous but the edible varieties (e.g. Almonds and apricot kernels) have usually been bred for low cyanide. And Then of course many leafy vegetables contain oxalic acid which will make you suck or kill you in high enough amounts. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/27 "2017-03-06T18:16:03Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > This is completely frightening. My Dearly Beloved™ makes her Killah Chili exactly this way. With dry original beans, including kidney beans, thrown into the pot and cooked up, soaking up liquid as they go. > > No more, I say !!! > > :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: If she’s making it in a newer slow cooker, there’s probably not a problem. (Easy check: open it. Is it boiling? Then you’re fine.) If her slow cooker is a family pass-me-down or an older model purchased at a thrift store or flea market, it might be problematic cooked on Low, because the temperature setting of old slow cookers is lower than new slow cookers. Again, open it. If it’s boiling, you’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/28 "2017-03-06T18:16:13Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Multiple polar explorations failed because they didn’t know that the polar bear liver was poisonous, let alone why. IIRC, a serving size (as in 3 ounces) contains enough vitamin A to satisfy a person’s requirements for a YEAR. The Inuit have always discarded the liver in such a way that their dogs couldn’t get at it either, most likely by dumping it in the ocean. Vitamin A is toxic in high quantities, but as far as I know the precursor (found in many fruits and vegetables) isn’t, so you won’t get vitamin A toxicity from eating too many carrots or pumpkins. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/29 "2017-03-06T18:17:06Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > And Then of course many leafy vegetables contain oxalic acid which will make you suck or kill you in high enough amounts. Too much kale definitely makes people suck. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/30 "2017-03-06T18:38:31Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > If she’s making it in a newer slow cooker, there’s probably not a problem. (Easy check: open it. Is it boiling? Then you’re fine.) If her slow cooker is a family pass-me-down or an older model purchased at a thrift store or flea market, it might be problematic cooked on Low, because the temperature setting of old slow cookers is lower than new slow cookers. Again, open it. If it’s boiling, you’re fine. I showed her this thread. She suggested that I climb in and see if " it’s hot enough for yas in there ! " I love my sweetiepie. The cooker is only a few years old and we tend to run chili on High when awake, adding water and other liquids as it cooks, and Keep Warm when asleep. Chili typically takes 2-3 days to be suitable. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/31 "2017-03-06T18:44:46Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Vitamin A is toxic in high quantities, but as far as I know the precursor (found in many fruits and vegetables) isn’t, so you won’t get vitamin A toxicity from eating too many carrots or pumpkins. But [you might turn orange](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/238/if-you-eat-too-many-carrots-will-you-turn-orange). ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/32 "2017-03-06T18:53:21Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Thanks for the info. Do you think baking the cookies destroys the poison? Almond extract isn’t toxic unless you drank a couple gallons of it. The processing to extract the flavor removes the amygdalin which creates the cyanide. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/33 "2017-03-06T19:13:19Z")
[Ackee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackee) is a fruit commonly eaten in Jamaica. It must be allowed to ripen on the tree, since eating under-ripe ackee can cause a potentially fatal illness called “[Jamaican vomiting sickness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican_vomiting_sickness).” Eating parts of the fruit other than the arils can cause the same illness. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/34 "2017-03-07T02:49:31Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > …many leafy vegetables contain oxalic acid which will **make you suck or kill you in high enough amounts**. What amount do I have to feed to my girlfriend to get the first effect but not the second? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/35 "2017-03-07T03:03:59Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > Greenland shark might count but the wiki article suggest it won’t kill you, just make you very, very drunk. Trying to eat great white shark might kill you… ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/36 "2017-03-07T03:25:16Z")
Bamboo shoots are poisonous eaten raw. Never heard of anyone dying but it’ll apparently make you puke and shit like you’ll want to die. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/37 "2017-03-07T03:49:43Z")
There’s potentially deadly ingredients, and then there are ones that are deadly in reality. One of the ingredients in this thread–one I regularly use in recipes–kills nearly a dozen Americans _every day_. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/38 "2017-03-07T03:59:36Z")
Hijiki, a black Japanese seaweed contains inorganic arsenic, and is a very frequently eaten side-dish. For a long time the Japanese general healthiness (long life-span) has been at odds with the inexplicable high rates of intestinal cancer. Hijiki is a likely factor. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473/39 "2017-03-07T04:34:37Z")
In Jamaica, they eat the fruit of the ackee. Ripe ackee is fine. Green ackee is poisonous. I see I was beaten to it. Um. As I recall, soybeans can, in large quantities, inhibit the absorption of…something important, I forget what. Soybean curd–tofu–does not, due to its processing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-made-out-of-potentially-lethal-ingredients/781473.md?page=1)