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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