They were prey to dizziness and powerful hallucinations while preparing a cake, bread or pancakes. Forty-nine people, including five children, were poisoned after consuming organic buckwheat flour contaminated with datura, a very toxic plantwe learned from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Brittany, confirming information from BFM.
Among the poisoned people, two were hospitalized “with favorable progress in twenty-four hours” and “three with a visit to the emergency room for a few hours for monitoring”, specify the health authorities. The majority of cases were reported in Ille-et-Vilaine but people were also sick in Morbihan and Côtes-d’Armor.
Lots from the JP Cloteau brand
After these reports, a recall campaign for the flour in question was launched a few days ago. These are batches of organic buckwheat flour from the JP Cloteau brand whose durability date is between October 2024 and March 2025 inclusive. In these batches, the presence of datura was detected. Known as “devil’s weed”, this very common herbaceous plant found in fields “naturally contains very high levels of tropane alkaloids”.
“These alkaloids are toxic and have effects on the nervous system. This plant can contaminate certain crops and cause acute poisoning. The symptoms are varied and can be as follows: dry mouth, dilated pupils, visual disturbances, tachycardia, agitation, confusion, spatio-temporal disorientation, hallucinations, incoherent speech, balance disorders,” detailed the authorities. health in a press release.