This is the number of deadly poisonous mushrooms collected in 2022

The autumn season has many beautiful aspects to offer. Whether it concerns the cheerful colors in the forest, the beautiful warm autumn clothes that can be worn again and the delicious autumn food that ends up on your plate. In the latter case, one ingredient is cooked particularly often. They do not belong to the animal genus, but neither are they plants: fungi – or as some researchers claim: the Internet of the forests.

The Wood Wide Web describes the enormous mushroom fight beneath the forest floor. The roots of the trees are connected to it and together form a network. These fungal threads transport substances from tree to tree and exchange information.

Fungi not only have their own complex communication system, they also have some similarities with humans and animals. So like us, they have to consume foreign biomass when they eat and cannot get energy from sunlight the way plants can.

As fascinating as mushrooms are, they are also popular in the kitchen. Thousands of mushrooms are collected and eaten in Switzerland every year.

With autumn comes mushroom season. Unlike last year, the mushroom season is rather rare this year. When asked, Marionna Schlatter, from the Association of Official Mushroom Control Authorities in Switzerland, describes the season as follows:

Unlike this year, 2022 was a record year for mushrooms. A particularly large number of mushroom inspections took place and the amount of mushrooms collected almost reached the amount of the exceptional year 2019. In addition, more deadly poisonous mushrooms were brought in in 2022 than ever before for the mushroom inspection.

There are a total of 289 mushroom control centers in Switzerland. In 2022, VAPKO carried out exactly 27,812 mushroom inspections and checked 39,354 kilos of mushrooms. This does not correspond to the total amount of mushrooms collected in Switzerland, but only to the amount examined at a mushroom inspection center.

Of the 39,354 kilograms of mushrooms checked, 33,189 kilograms were edible, 5,308 kilograms were inedible, 803 kilograms were poisonous and 54 kilograms were even fatally poisonous.

More than 5,000 species of mushrooms are known in Switzerland. The risk of confusion is therefore high. According to Marionna Schlatter from VAPKO, mushroom mix-ups are common:

In fact, the risk of confusion between porcini and gall mushrooms is very high, because they are visually very similar. Fortunately, the bile bolete is not poisonous, the taste is just very bitter and inedible. However, a mix-up is not a pleasant surprise and a mold inspection by a professional is always recommended.

The two mushrooms can be distinguished at the bottom of the umbrella, which is light greenish in the boletus and light pink in the boletus. The smell can also be an important indication for picking the right mushroom. Unlike the boletus, the gall mushroom has an unpleasant odor.

According to studies, a lot of mushroom poisoning happens when a lot of mushrooms grow. It is therefore no surprise that the Tox Info Suisse advice center had the most consultations in 2022 after 2019 where mushroom poisoning was present or suspected. More than 900 consultations on mushroom poisoning were carried out in 2022.

Most mushroom poisonings occur when collecting mushrooms by confusing them with edible mushrooms. Such mushroom poisonings mainly occur during the mushroom season between September and October. However, poisonings with hallucinogenic mushrooms occur again and again throughout the year. The number of mushroom poisonings increased by 25 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. The increase is due to the successful mushroom year.

In Switzerland, rules for collecting mushrooms vary depending on the canton. Before you start collecting mushrooms, you should therefore find out which regulations apply in the relevant canton. In many cantons up to two kilos of mushrooms can be collected per person. Some cantons have also defined a closed season during which no mushrooms are allowed to be collected.

In principle, only fully grown mushrooms may be picked. Small and old mushrooms are better left alone. These ensure the survival of the breed.

Mushrooms like it moist and warm. They are often found on mossy soils, in deciduous and coniferous forests. However, there is no guarantee of optimal mushroom locations. Even experts are always surprised about where mushrooms grow and where they don’t. Because mushrooms grow everywhere.

Inspection by a professional is so important because highly poisonous and even deadly mushrooms grow in the regional forests. In Switzerland, about 200 species of mushrooms are considered poisonous. For example, the highly poisonous white death cap mushroom is often confused with mushrooms. Fortunately, Switzerland has many mushroom checkpoints, as the map shows. All addresses can be found on the VAPKO website.

Mushrooms are not only picked in nature, but also grown in large quantities. The most common type of mushroom sold and grown are button mushrooms. Noble mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster mushrooms, Grifola, king oyster mushroom, shimeji, pioppino, nameko, pom-pom and enoki are other cultivated mushrooms. In 2022, more than 7,000 tons of mushrooms were grown in Switzerland. More than 4,000 tons were imported from abroad.

In 2022, approximately 473 tons of noble mushrooms were grown in Switzerland. 468 tons came from abroad. In total, more than 8,000 tons of mushrooms were grown in Switzerland last year.