Mushroom picking is one of autumn’s pleasures… provided you know what you’re doing! If in doubt, never pick an unknown mushroom — some of the 3,000 species recorded in France can be toxic or even deadly.

The peak of poisonings occurs in October, at the height of the picking season. Between July and December 2024, ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) recorded 1,363 cases of poisoning in France, often after mushroom-based meals. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region topped the list, with 176 meals linked to incidents [1].

In most cases, the symptoms are digestive (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea), but some people also experience neurological disorders. Three deaths were recorded last year.

If you feel unwell in France, contact the Poison Control Centre immediately, available 24 hours a day: https://centres-antipoison.net/

Caution is also advised in Geneva

Caution is the golden rule for all pickers. To ensure your harvest is safe, it is recommended that you have your mushrooms checked at a control centre.

In French-speaking Switzerland, there are nearly 70 official locations where you can have your mushrooms checked for free before eating them.

The full list is available on the VAPKO website: www.vapko.ch/fr/rechercher-un-controleur

[1] https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/cueillette-des-champignons-vigilance-fa…