10 Everyday Foods that can Kill you

Whether you're a farmer's market vendor or the world's largest franchise, careful food handling and preparation is critical to guaranteeing food safety.

Any tainted food could be fatal, but there are a few foods around the world that must be prepared with utmost caution and accuracy to avoid causing serious disease or death.

You've probably heard of fugu, the Japanese delicacy that must be served perfectly to avoid customers asphyxiating in your dining room, but there are a number of other delicacies that can kill if not prepared properly. Some of these meals are exotic delicacies that are difficult to come by in Canada, while others are pantry or dry goods mainstays. Here are eight of the world's most deadly foods, ranging from fugu to kidney beans.

10. Cashew Nuts

To begin with, these are seeds, not nuts, so you've been duped all along. Their shells are poisonous, and they're coated in anacardic acid, which can burn your skin and cause a stomach ache if handled incorrectly. Cashews must also be boiled or steamed before eating because they contain urushiol, a toxin that is also present in poison ivy and can be lethal if taken in big enough quantities. So, if you come across cashews growing wild while travelling, don't collect or consume them.

9. Cherry Stones

A tinker, a tailor, a soldier, and a spy... Alternatively, if you eat too many cherry stones, you will die. Alternatively, apricot, plum, or peach pits. They contain hydrogen cyanide, a toxic gas that may kill a human weighing 10 stone (150 pounds) with just 0.1 gramme. Because a cherry pit contains 0.17 grammes of cyanide, just one or two broken stones could be fatal. Because the amount of cyanide in each cherry stone fluctuates, a lethal dose could be more than one stone, but why take the chance?

8. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are poisonous due to high quantities of phytohemagglutinin. The toxicity is removed by properly cooking the beans, but even a few undercooked beans can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. To thoroughly dissolve the poison, the US FDA recommends boiling for 30 minutes. If you're nervous, use canned kidney beans in your chilli because they're pre-cooked and ready to eat right out of the tin.

7. Peanuts

Peanut allergies affect about 1% of the US population, making them one of the most frequent allergies. If you have a severe allergy to peanuts and eat one in any form (even oil) or inhale peanut proteins in the air, you will become severely sick. Mohammed Zaman, a restaurant owner in the United Kingdom, was sentenced to six years in prison after a takeaway containing powdered nuts caused Paul Wilson, 38, to suffer severe anaphylactic shock and die in January 2014.

6. Bagels

While the bready morning classic isn't deadly (otherwise, you'd have to reconsider your stance on all-you-can-eat brunches), it is one of the most prevalent causes of kitchen knife injuries. Consider this scenario: you're slicing a bagel with one hand holding the knife and the other holding the bagel, and your knife slips sideways... Bagel-related ailments sent 2,000 Americans to the hospital in 2011.

5. Ackee

The Ackee plant is native to West Africa, but it is also grown in Jamaica, where the ripening fruit is a popular local delicacy. It has a buttery, creamy texture and a mild flavour, and it's part of Jamaica's national dish, ackee and saltfish. Ackee, on the other hand, can contain deadly quantities of hypoglycin A if harvested before fully ripe, resulting in vomiting, hypoglycemia, and even death. It also has toxic seeds. Because it's so deadly, the United States banned ackee fruit imports until 2005, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared it would only allow shipments with very low toxic concentrations.

4. Mushrooms

Some mushrooms aren't exactly amusing. These mushrooms aren't playing around, with names like 'death cap' and 'destruction angel.' As a general guideline, if you're not sure what you're eating, especially if you picked it yourself, don't eat it. Even specialists often have trouble distinguishing between edible and deadly mushrooms. After picking the deadly webcap type, author Nicholas Evans and his family were on the verge of dying from liver failure. In the United States, 14 people were poisoned after eating death cap mushrooms in San Francisco, with three requiring liver transplants, including an 18-month-old baby.

3. Nutmeg

If taken in big enough quantities, this Christmassy spice, which imparts a subtle flavour to custards, bechamel, and rice pudding, can cause hallucinations. Convulsions, palpitations, and nausea are all possible side effects, as can visual distortions and paranoia. Perhaps skip the tenth glass of eggnog, as it only takes about 2-3 teaspoons of the ground spice to make an effect. It's also extremely dangerous to dogs.

2. Fugu (Puffer Fish)

Fugu is a delicacy in Japan, but it is also quite dangerous. The pufferfish is more deadly than cyanide and can kill you quickly. There is no cure for this. The poison tetrodotoxin is found in the liver, ovaries, and skin of the fish, and it affects the nervous system of humans. Chefs who work with fugu must undergo extensive training and hold a specific licence, but many people die when they attempt to cook the fish themselves.

1. Hot Dogs

Choking is a very real concern when eating this American classic, regardless of the questionable meat level seen in cut-price hot dogs. According to Johns Hopkins University, hot dogs are the leading cause of choking-related injuries in children under the age of three. Before serving, chew carefully and chop them into bite-sized pieces.