Sad news out of a suburb of Australia’s capital Canberra today where the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the death of two people after a private New Year’s dinner, at a bistro closed for the holidays, was prepared and eaten with Death cap mushrooms that were mistaken for Chinese straw mushrooms.

The meal’s chef Liu Jun and a kitchen hand Tsou Hsiang died from liver failure at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital while waiting for transplants. The newspaper is reporting that there was at least one other man at the dinner who was released from a hospital after showing no signs of poisoning. There is an additional 51 year old male in stable condition with Death cap poisoning but it is unclear if he is connected with the New Year’s Eve dinner party.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Health kept the restaurant closed for inspection as a precaution before it will be allowed to open for regular business but the public has been assured that this was an isolated incident.  The ACT Health inspection determined no Death cap mushrooms remained on site.

A statement was released by the restaurant's acting manager, Mick Thamer, and re-printed in the newspaper, "We at the club are still in shock and in grief. However we would like to assure the members and Canberra community that under no circumstances was their health at risk. The mushrooms were brought into the club for a private meal, cooked after bistro hours, by the chef for him and his co-workers. It was not a meal on the bistro menu and was not a meal that was offered to, or available to, the public.”

This most recent incident of poisoning brings attention to mushroom hunting - a hobby practiced globally that could be fatal without the proper information. Chef Liu Jun was described as “super into fresh food” which led him to pick mushrooms for the dinner. This is not uncommon as mushroom hunting has gained popularity over the last decade due to the market value for edible mushrooms like the morel -found predominantly in the Midwestern United States and as we look for organic, sustainable and healthier foods. But not everything that grows in nature is edible and there are several mushrooms, like the Death cap, that aren’t meant to be eaten by humans.

It’s important to research and be sure that mushrooms picked are safe to eat before cooking them. Most consumers find the white button mushrooms sold in grocery stores suitable for their cooking needs. But for enthusiasts interested in the thrill and sustainability of hunting mushrooms knowledge is power and could mean the difference between life and death.