UMaine Extension bulletin cited in BDN article on Maine, Canadian fiddleheads
Information from a University of Maine Cooperative Extension publication was cited in the Bangor Daily News article, “No warnings on Maine fiddleheads, despite health concerns over Canadian ferns.” The New Brunswick Department of Health recently issued a warning that fiddleheads growing in areas hit by the provinces’ record floods this spring may be contaminated and unfit to eat, the article states. Officials with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said there are no health risks associated with Maine fiddleheads. According to a UMaine Extension bulletin, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Health Canada have investigated outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads over the years. Symptoms of illness from eating undercooked or raw fiddleheads include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and headaches. The symptoms hit within 30 minutes to 12 hours after eating the fiddleheads and last around 24 hours, the BDN reported. The bulletin states the best and most reliable way to clean fiddleheads is by placing the freshly picked ferns into a colander and thoroughly rinsing or spraying them with clean, cold water.