Were you planning a soup or gratin using squash this fall or for Halloween? First, it’s best to check that it’s edible. Because contrary to popular belief, they cannot all be eaten. The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) published its recommendations on October 15.
What health risks?
ANSES recalls that certain squash are toxic and contain cucurbitacins. These substances are “very irritating and bitter,” she warns. They can cause “digestive pain, nausea, vomiting, sometimes bloody diarrhea, or even severe dehydration requiring hospitalization.” They actually protect wild squash because they are made to repel insects like caterpillars. Unfortunately, they are resistant to cooking.
Toxic squash are sometimes sold in the fruit and vegetable sections of stores. This is the case for ornamental squash such as colocynths. They should only be used for decorative purposes.
What about those grown in your garden?
Also pay attention to those you have in your own vegetable garden. They can become “unfit for consumption following wild hybridization”. ANSES specifies that “this phenomenon occurs when bitter varieties and edible varieties coexist, in the same vegetable garden or in neighboring vegetable gardens, and the seeds are harvested and sown from year to year”. Impossible to spot them with the naked eye because they have the appearance of an edible squash. You then have to trust your palate: they have a bitter taste.
In the event of poisoning, depending on your state of health, it is advisable to contact 15, 112 or a poison control center (01 45 42 59 59). You can also contact your doctor. If in doubt, keep the leftovers from the meal which could allow the search for toxins in the squash consumed.