The Estonian Agriculture and Food Board warns that chocolate containing the fly agaric mushroom is being sold on Facebook, but poisonous mushrooms, including fly agaric, are banned from being sold as food.
According to Kairi Sisask, chief specialist of the food department of the Agriculture and Food Board, concerned citizens informed the authority about the dangerous product.
“The authority received information that chocolate containing fly agaric is being sold on social media. It is forbidden to sell such products as food,” Sisask said.
The fly agaric is poisonous and should not be eaten.
“The Agriculture and Food Board identified that the chocolate was produced by OU Prana Organics. A supervision procedure has been initiated against the manufacturer and it has been required to remove and recall dangerous products from the market,” Sisask said.
The sale of fly agaric as food in any form in the European Union is a prohibited activity.
The fly agaric belongs to a group of mushrooms that contain nerve poisons, and therefore consumption can cause poisoning, which in the worst case can lead to death. In case of fly agaric consumption, people should contact the Health Board’s poison information center at 16662, which can quickly find the most suitable course of action in case of poisoning.
Tip-offs about the sale of dangerous food can be submitted to the e-mail address vihje@pta.agri.ee.
The basic provision of food safety legislation is that food safety is the responsibility of the food handler, who must take all measures to ensure safety. The authority’s duty is to inform consumers when food that cannot be considered safe has reached the market.
Source: BNS
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