Due to the backlash that followed the placement of daffodil bouquets next to spring onions on a «eat well» display, Marks & Spencer has issued an apology.
Although the unopened flowers may seem like a vegetable, they are really toxic if swallowed.
Stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are among symptoms of ingesting too much lycorine, a toxin present in all parts of the daffodil.
They are «the single most widespread cause of plant-based poisoning,» according to botanist James Wong, who tweeted a picture of the display.
«I don’t want to get any staff in trouble,» he tweeted to the M&S account, presumably referring to workers. But, you must instantly improve your training.
A garden expert who has been on Gardeners’ Question Time and hosted the program Secrets of Your Own Food once described eating a daffodil as «like swallowing a box of tiny needles» due to the abundance of tiny crystals within.
The most often ingested portion of the plant is the bulbs, which resemble onions but contain more dangerous lycorine. Yet, there are reports of illnesses after intake of the stems.
In 2012, 10 people in Bristol’s Chinese community were hospitalized after eating daffodil stalks and leaves, leading authorities to issue a warning to the area.
The Health Protection Agency has issued a statement suggesting that consumers may have mistook the flower for a chive while purchasing it. Warnings in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin have been suggested by the agency for use in retail settings.
Three years later, Public Health England’s director for health protection, Prof. Paul Cosford, wrote to supermarkets to warn them against putting daffodils near perishable foods.
The letter asks that daffodil bulbs and cut daffodils be removed from the produce or fruit and vegetable department and placed in a separate area.
According to a spokesperson for Marks & Spencer, «customer safety is our priority,» and the company’s British daffodils are clearly labeled with an on-pack warning that they are not safe to swallow.
Due to an honest error made by one of our stores, we are now mandating that all of our outlets double-check their flower arrangements.
We apologize for any trouble this may have caused.
