We all know that food safety begins with proper food handling and preparation, whether you run a small home-based canning operation or the world’s largest franchise.
Food handling is always a matter of life and death.
Still, several foods worldwide require expert-level care and accuracy to be eaten without inflicting a severe disease or even death.
If you’re like me, a foody person who loves to enjoy different cultural foods across the globe, you may be interested in the world’s most dangerous foods.
According to my research, here are 6 of the World’s Most Dangerous Foods:
#6 Fugu
Fact: Up to 44 fatal incidents since 1996.
The puffer fish is a sushi delicacy that can be found in the waters of Japan and is believed to have been hunted by ancient samurai warriors.
As you can see in the image, the Japanese word for pufferfish is fugu, and the meal made from it may be poisonous.
Tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin up to 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide, is found in fugu’s ovaries, intestines, and liver.
What is tetrodotoxin?
Tetrodotoxin disrupts the passage of signals from nerves to muscles, resulting in progressive paralysis of the body’s muscles.
For this reason, it’s home to one of the deadliest ingredients in the world: tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin so fatal that a small amount of this substance can kill an adult human within minutes.
#5 Ackee fruit
It’s difficult to find a more feared fruit anywhere in the world than the ackee fruit.
Although it is pretty tasty, the fruit is highly toxic, containing as much as twice as potent a toxin.
1 in 1000 people develop ackee fruit poisoning each year in the Caribbean.
Ackee fruit is unsafe to eat if it’s unripe; according to UNSAFE, it’s still not safe if you cook unripe fruit.
#4 Sannakji
Sannakji is a small octopus eaten raw in South Korea.
The animal is often cut up into pieces and served as sashimi, and its preparation makes it incredibly dangerous, as the tentacles are still alive when eaten!
Sannakji is considered a dangerous food; on average, and six people die yearly.
#3 Cassava
Cassava, also known as yuca, is the root of a plant native to South America. The tuber has numerous uses in our culture, such as starch and flour.
27 children in the Philippines died after eating cassava as a snack in 2005.
It’s one of the most deadly foods on the planet! Cassava contains a toxin called alpha-amalyne-sodium.
It is especially dangerous for those who have pre-existing liver or kidney damage.
#2 Rhubarb
The leaves of the rhubarb plant are used to produce jams and cordials, but not surprisingly, they’re also very dangerous!
Even more so than most foods that contain poisons, the leaves of rhubarb can cause severe rashes if they come into contact with your skin.
#1 Elderberries
Despite being a beneficial plant, one thing makes them truly dangerous: their seeds!
Elderberries can cause severe diarrhea and seizures.
The seeds contain a toxin called ricin. This poisonous substance can cause severe blackening of the skin and even death if ingested.
The bottom line
Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments. — Bethenny Frankel
In a nutshell, I highly recommend avoiding all these foods, especially when you are traveling.
Always follow the food safety guidelines from authentic sources. Food without proper cooking preparation can be a question of life and death.
Always safely cook, wash, and store your food!
I think it’d be a much better idea to avoid consuming these foods.
Thank you for reading; follow me and clap a couple of times.
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