Man eats zucchini from his garden - and dies

79-year-old deceased from poisoning by zucchini
Zucchini are a particularly popular garden vegetable variety and they are considered quite healthy due to the contained vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, sodium and iron. But a 79-year-old in Heidenheim has apparently poisoned from the consumption of zucchini from his garden. According to media reports, the man has died after eating a casserole from homegrown zucchini. The zucchini contained cucurbitacin, which causes severe food poisoning, which in the worst case is fatal.

The 79-year-old from Heidenheim has been seriously poisoned by eating a zucchini casserole, reports "Focus Online", citing the medical director of the central emergency department at Heidenheim Hospital, Norbert Pfeufer. The homegrown zucchini evidently contained cucurbitacin, which is usually found mainly in venison and ornamental gourds. Other cucurbits such as cucumbers or zucchini may contain the poison. In most species, however, the toxin was eliminated during breeding. In reverse mutations or backcrosses, however, the plants sometimes develop cucurbitacin. If cucumbers, zucchini or pumpkin dishes taste extremely bitter, they should not be eaten, as this may indicate a contamination with the toxin.

Zucchini can cause severe poisoning. (Image: Dionisvera / fotolia.com)

Zucchini casserole cause of poisoning
After the husband and his wife were admitted with signs of a severe gastrointestinal infection in the hospital Heidenheim, the suspicion quickly fell on the zucchini casserole, which is said to have tasted extremely bitter, according to the patients. The man had apparently consumed significantly more of the casserole than his wife and suffered a deadly poisoning. For homegrown zucchini, the toxin cucurbitacin may occur in larger quantities according to the experts. In the allotment garden area, the main risk lies in the fact that Pfeiffer is quoted by "Focus Online", especially when gardeners raise their own seeds every year with zucchini. In addition, plants could produce the toxins in stress, such as by prolonged heat, adds chemical director Maria Roth of the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Stuttgart against the news portal.

Investigations of the prosecutor
Meanwhile, due to the unusual death of the 79-year-old and investigations by the prosecutor Ellwangen initiated, according to the announcement of the "Heidenheimer Zeitung". This corresponds to the usual practice for all non-natural causes of death, which can not be attributed to illness or age. It should be determined whether death was caused by someone else's fault. In the investigation, the food monitoring of the district office is turned on, although not specifically targeted against certain people. Zucchini samples are currently being examined by the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office in Stuttgart.

Risks with home-grown vegetables
The case of the 79-year-old makes it clear that the consumption of home-grown fruit and vegetables can certainly be associated with risks. These should know hobby gardeners and with unusual taste is urgently caution. With regard to cucurbitacin, it should also be noted that this is not rendered harmless when cooking, while other toxins such as the poison phasin in raw kidney beans can be removed by heat. (Fp)