Mad about Mushrooms . . .: Who’s afraid of the big, bad mushrooms?

Yes, we all know them. Those people who are “mycophobic,” afraid of mushrooms. I’ve encountered them as I’ve traveled throughout the world, but most commonly they appear to be in Great Britain, Canada and the US.

Just merely mentioning that I gather wild mushrooms tends to make these folks distance themselves from me. Then comes the eye rolling, and the confession that they “would never do such a thing,” as one Scottish BNB owner unequivocally stated. She hastily added that all the mushrooms that she prepared came from the market down the way and that was the end of that conversation.

Unfortunately, there are times when even these commercially distributed mushrooms may hold some dangers. We’ve recently been reading about the enoki mushroom listeria outbreak that has been unfolding over the past 3 years, running from November 3, 2016 to December 13, 2019. After much study and testing by the FDA and other agencies, the finger pointed to enoki mushrooms distributed by the Green Co. LTD of Korea. Satisfied with the outcome of their investigation, the FDA and CDC officially closed their investigation on June 9, 2020.

Commercially farmed enoki are a very distinctive mushroom.

What is Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes)? It is defined by the FDA as a species of pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria that can be found in moist environments, soil, water, decaying vegetation and animals, and can survive and even grow under refrigeration and other food preservation measures. L. monocytogenes is generally transmitted when food is harvested, processed, prepared, packed, transported or stored in environments contaminated with L. monocytogenes.

We need to remember that listeria can grow at cold temperatures, such as those inside a refrigerator and to be aware that freezing food does not kill listeria. Furthermore, we can’t taste listeria, see it or smell it. Thus, we can pick up the infection from deli meats that aren’t processed properly or from dairy products made from milk that isn’t pasteurized. In the past, we’ve probably all read about outbreaks associated with hot dogs and cantaloupes.

What are the symptoms of listeriosis, the serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes? The CDC reports that if the infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur. Symptoms can show up a few days after ingesting the contaminated food or a few months later.

People who have weakened immune systems or chronic illness are at most danger, along with the very young and the very old. It is reported that pregnant women who contact listeriosis may experience mild symptoms. However, if the infection becomes invasive and attacks the child in utero, this can lead to a miscarriage. The CDC notes that healthy persons may consume contaminated foods without becoming ill.

How can we reduce our risk for listeriosis? The CDC has the following general recommendations:

• Cook thoroughly raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry because listeria is killed by thoroughly cooking product to 165ºF/74ºC.
• Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
• Avoid raw (unpasteurized) milk or foods made from raw milk.
• Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods.

The CDC further recommends for persons at high risk (such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems) these additional measures:

• Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese. (Hard cheeses, processed cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt need not be avoided.)
• Cook until steaming hot left-over foods or ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs, before eating.
• Although the risk of listeriosis associated with foods from deli counters is relatively low, pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons may choose to avoid these foods or thoroughly reheat cold cuts before eating.

What are enoki (Flammulina velutipes)? We conveniently find them in Asian markets as well as in our neighborhood grocery stores. These commercially farmed enoki are a long, thin white mushroom which are typically sold in clusters either under their common name of enoki or under several other names such as golden needle, flutu, lily and eokitake. Not only are they a tasty and and visually interesting addition to a dish, enoki are reported to contain antitoxins and may have possible applications in the development of vaccines and cancer immunotherapy.

Now, you may be asking: What is the point of this post? The point is that we need to make personal and powerful decisions about where we get our food and what we eat. If we gather wild mushrooms, we need to be vigilant, thoughtful and knowledgeable. Likewise, if we purchase mushrooms in the store or at the farmers market, we need to be vigilant, thoughtful and knowledgeable.

We need to follow a best practice which, to me, means thoroughly cleaning and cooking my mushrooms. We need to take responsibility for what we consume whether it be wild mushrooms or commercially available mushrooms. It’s just that simple.

Enoki can be a wholesome addition to our dinner table
when thoroughly cooked.