120 People Hallucinate After Eating A Common Veggie

The Guardian reports that spinach has been recalled across Australia after 120 people were sickened with delirium and hallucinations after eating the leafy green believed contaminated by a weed. At least one child was among those admitted to the hospital. Authorities say the recalled spinach products are from a farm in Victoria and urge people to throw away spinach bought at Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and Costco.

Symptoms include delirium or confusion, hallucinations, dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, flushed face, blurred vision, dry mouth and skin, and a fever.

A spokesperson for the farm at the center of the recall, Riviera Farms, told the press, “As soon as we were advised of the possible weed contamination from one of our customers, we immediately advised them to remove our impacted spinach from their shelves, and contacted state health and federal food authorities. Riviera Farms has been serving the Australian community for five generations, and our staff will work with the regulators to identify what happened, who was impacted, and how we can make sure nothing like this weed contamination can occur again.”