Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ewj01.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!bbnccv!ewj01!lj From: lj@ewj01.UUCP (Leonard Jacobs) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: eating flowers Message-ID: <183@ewj01.UUCP> Date: Tue, 13-Aug-85 17:01:50 EDT Article-I.D.: ewj01.183 Posted: Tue Aug 13 17:01:50 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 05:15:01 EDT References: <1045@mhuxt.UUCP> Organization: East West Journal, Brookline, Mass. Lines: 27 > > Not going out and picking one's own saffron is excellant advice. May I > suggest the book, Poisonous Plants of the United States by W. C. Muenscher, > Macmillan Publishing? You'll be interested to find that certain delicacies > have inedible parts or seasons. Also, that beet and turnip greens store > toxic levels of potassium nitrate if grown in soils too rich in it. Warning: > the book's main subject is livestock rather than primate poisoning. > > Sukie Crandall The question re potassium nitrate is an interesting one. Does anyone have any factual information on permissible levels of nitrates in foods? I understand that there are Federal guidelines for permisible levels of nitrates in drinking water--something like 40 ppm--but that similar levels do not necessarily apply to foods. According to some farmers/gardeners, nitrate levels in green vegetables exceed 40 ppm in many vegetables, organic and not, due to the immaturity of the plants when picked. Is there a possible danger in consuming high levels of nitrates, and what are permissible levels in our foods? If anyone has any information on this I would like to know. Will also post to net.med. -- Len Jacobs East West Journal harvard!bbnccv!ewj01!lj