Authorities in Australia have urged residents not to seek out spinach products for the purposes of getting high.
Last week, authorities in New South Wales (NSW) issued an urgent health warning against baby spinach products bought from Costco after several cases of “possible food-related toxic reactions”.
According to data provided by NSW Health on Sunday, 164 have reported symptoms after eating baby spinach, at least 42 of whom have sought medical attention, reported The Australian.
Symptoms that can become severe include delirium or confusion, hallucinations, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, flushed face, blurred vision, dry mouth and skin and fever.
Authorities said while investigations are ongoing, it is likely that the spinach became contaminated by a toxic weed, such as a nightshade, jimson weed or mandrake root.
The weed may have contaminated the spinach crop as a result of recent flooding.
Assistant health minister Ged Kearey said Food Standards Australia New Zealand were investigating.
“I urge anyone feeling unwell who may have eaten affected products to seek medical care immediately and contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26,” she said was quoted as saying.
“We are communicating frequently with the regulators as they continue their investigations. All appropriate measures necessary to keep people safe will continue to be taken.”
Dr Brett Summerell, chief scientist at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, warned people not to go searching for the contaminated products or pick and eat weeds they could not identify in search of a cheap high.
“People might be tempted to go out picking weeds thinking that they’ll get some sort of high [but] it’s really important to remember yes, there might be a hallucinogenic side to this, but there’s a whole lot of really horrible health issues,” he said to The Guardian.
The Riviera Farms-branded baby spinach has been recalled from stores.
“The advice to our customers remains to recall potentially contaminated spinach products from their shelves and to advise their own customers to do the same,” the farm said in a statement.
“Riviera Farms has been working with retailers and regulators to identify, and recall, potentially contaminated spinach products from shelves.”
