Company Issues Mass Recall as FDA Investigates Mushroom Edibles Linked to Illnesses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating more than 140 documented cases of patients experiencing illnesses after consuming mushroom edibles.
Patients have experienced various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, agitation, seizures, loss of consciousness, involuntary muscle contractions, confusion, sleepiness, abnormal heart rates, hypertension, or hypotension. Cases have been reported in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The agency is also investigating two deaths that may be associated with the products.
All of the confirmed cases have been linked to the same brand, Diamond Shruumz, which is owned by Prophet Premium Blends.
Prophet Premium Blends issued a recall for the products, including infused cones, chocolate bars, and gummies. The recall announcement said that the products, which were distributed nationwide, have “toxic levels of muscimol.”
Muscimol is a psychoactive chemical found in certain mushrooms, specifically those belonging to the Amanita genus of mushrooms. These mushrooms are usually red with white spots.
After receiving two complaints about products in May 2024 after someone ate an entire chocolate bar, the company reviewed the products and determined that there were higher than normal amounts of muscimol.
However, muscimol might not be the culprit in this series of illnesses. “Initial testing has turned up an array of other substances in the recalled products, and muscimol in less than half of them,” NPR reported, citing the FDA investigation. “At this point, experts say none of the findings adequately explain why people are getting so sick.”
The analysis of the products remains a challenge as most toxicology labs testing for illegal substances do not screen for the Amanita mushrooms, and detecting two of the possible toxic compounds, muscimol and ibotenic acid, is difficult.
Some of the compounds in the tested samples that give federal investigators concerns include a synthetic form of psilocybin, an anticonvulsant drug called pregabalin, and the herbal supplement kava.
Under federal law, the synthetic psilocybin, 4-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-AcO-DMT) could be considered illegal given its similarity to psilocybin. Although it does not naturally occur in mushrooms, like psilocybin it converts into psilocin—the psychoactive compound that induces hallucinations—when it’s metabolized in the human body.
4-AcO-DMT is “potentially dangerous when you consider the hazardous chemicals needed to create synthetics,” according to The Denver Post. In Colorado, Diamond Shruumz products were sold at approximately 50 stores before the recall.
The FDA recommends that consumers check their homes for Diamond Shruumz products, and if found, discard them or return them to Prophet Premium Blends for a refund. The products’ colorful packaging and presentation as candy makes them appealing to children or teenagers, so parents should consider discussing the issue with children.
If someone is experiencing symptoms after consuming one of the products, they should immediately contact a healthcare provider and call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222.
As for retailers, the FDA has advised them to stop selling or distributing any flavor of the Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars, cones, or gummies. Retailers should instead securely store the product and contact Prophet Premium Blends to initiate a return and refund.
