Be cautious consuming fiddleheads, chief medical officer warns

Looking to get your fiddlehead fix this spring?

After this year'sflooding, health officials are warning residents to take extra precautions before eating the New Brunswick delicacy.

"No matter where you get your fiddleheads, you really always have to keep your family safe by washing them properly, making sure you cook them for the right length of time," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer.

Fiddleheads aren't a regulated crop because they grow in wild areas along the riverbanks each year after the spring freshet.

Russellsaid contamination can happen from any sources in the wild, including wild animals, malfunctioning septic systems, and agricultural and industrial runoff.

Russell said the severity of reported occurrences of sewage and chemicals entering floodwaters is lower this year than in 2018.

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She also said there haven't been any reports of large-scale commercial or industrial incidents of chemical contaminants getting into floodwaters.

"Many residents whose properties were subject to flooding last year were a bit more proactive at securing and removing items such as oil tanks," she said.

Stay vigilant

Although risks are lower this year, she said people should stay vigilant.

While picking fiddleheads, look for staining or vegetation that doesn't look well, she said.

People should also clean and prepare fiddleheads properly before eating them. This includes:

• Washing them with cold water
• Removing the brown husk and dirt as much as possible.
• Cooking in boiling water for at least 15 minutes or steaming for up to 12 minutes.

There haven't been any reported illnesses associated with eating fully cooked fiddleheads. But eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads can lead to illness, such as gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting.

If residents are planting their own vegetables, they should wait a minimum of 30 days after floodwater is "no longer present," Russell said.

"Between the tillage, the sunlight, the air and the soil, microbiological activity, those things will contribute to the breakdown of most contaminants."