Almonds and cyanide?

[Scott]

A member recently lost a beloved lovebird due to apparent cyanide poisoning from an almond. I've heard certain almond species contain high levels of cyanide and are generally sequestered from the food supply in many areas. Some quick research identified "bitter" vs "sweet" varieties, with the former containing up to 40 times higher cyanide level. https://www.organicfacts.net/bitter-almonds.html

I would hope strict quality control prevents mixing during packaging, perhaps bitter almonds are banned in some locales?

A terrible tragedy, hope discussion helps to enlighten us.

 

[HEEDLESS]

Hi Mr. Scott, and to all members those who knows best about birds..


Kise has been eating almonds daily.. One or two a day.


Should I stop feeding her the almonds???


THANKS!!!!!
​

 

[Cardinal]

Yes! I suppose! Why take the risk?

Also may be soaking them in water overnight may reduce risk.
It definitely makes them more nutritious for humans.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Omg, Cairo's treats have always been almonds, with the rare exception of an occasional walnut. I wonder if a bad almond in the mix could have caused his illness last year! The vet and I thought it might have been a bad walnut. But his blood tests didn't show anything.

Would cyanide poisoning show in a basic blood test?

 

[Scott]

Not sure this is a chronic situation, trying to identify whether it is a national distribution issue (bitter almonds not universally available) or whether quality control problem.

 

[GaleriaGila]

The Rb has eaten almonds and almond butter for 35 years!
What the...?
Okay, I'm looking into this, as many of you are. The almond butter I'll continue, but the nuts... outta here, for now!

 

[ChristaNL]

Bitter almonds are sold only for medicinal purposes here but how tragic!


I noticed one of my greys cracking and eating the inner part of cherry-stones (same problem with toxidity) so no more whole cherries for them either.


When in doubt just take a small nibble & taste from the almond before you give it to the birds - just be carefull because now you may have a saliva-issue...

 

[SailBoat]

At this point there is just not enough published information.

It would seem that specific countries have defined a problem and separate out specific sources to provide /maintain a safe 'Human Grade' food supply. If this was not true, great numbers of us would have loss Parrots even if this is specific to single species.

'As A Very General Statement!' If your Almonds are North America (USA & Canadian) or Western Europe processed as "Human Grade," what you have is very likely safe.

Thank you Scott for starting this Thread. With hope, we can better define what is dangerous for Parrots (and Humans) and what is not.
Likely walking back into the sources for cyanide will find what almond sources contain the highest levels.

 

[ParrotGenie]

This is not good. I use them as treats all the time.

 

[Anansi]

This is quite disturbing, though it appears that getting a bitter almond mixed in with the sweet is something of a rarity. But still! I'm going to do a lot more research before making a final decision on this. Scary.

 

[Inger]

I think another important thing to note is that I strongly suspect that person’s vet made an assumption. They said the bird died this afternoon, and I have no idea how long a necropsy takes, but it seems like they couldn’t have a definitive answer about cyanide poisoning that quickly. Maybe the poor bird choked on the almond (can that happen?) or maybe there was some other environmental situation that coincided with eating the almond. Or maybe birdy had been sick and hiding it for a while.

I absolutely think caution is called for, but I also think a full blown panic might be premature.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[noodles123]

A regular almond, vs a bitter almond are not the same. Bitter almonds are not safe.

 

[benedict45]

I did some research and asked some doctors, too late for me but at least others should know about it.

In the old days, people used bitter almonds as a mouse killer, for humans eating 5 bitter almonds can cause distended or numbness of stomach muscles, adding 5 more on top of that requires immediate reaction and patient should be transported to a hospital immediately otherwise can cause death.
I found a website which could potentially help you in that 5 second time you've got to save your bird in case of a cyanide poisoning. if you find it necessary please prepare any treatment and medicine that is mentioned here:
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/toxicology/cyanide-poisoning/overview-of-cyanide-poisoning

But of course, 5 seconds is not something you can rely on, so prevention is the best thing, feed your bird almonds just take a small bite out of each one before giving it to the bird.
finding a bitter almond mixed with the rest is quite rare but remember that very some percentage of possibility took away my bird I loved so much, she had survived many many things and I still can't believe she will not be sleeping on my hair next morning I wake up.

 

[Scott]

Found what appears to be a comprehensive article: The Case of the Tasty But Poisonous Nut - latimes

Apparently the bitter almond comes from a very specific tree and is not legal in many parts of the world. If you live in a country that grows almonds, prohibits the bitter variety, and you purchase product packed in-country, should be safe. If not, will want to source them from a trusted source.

 

[ChristaNL]

Sorry Scott, "the rest of the world" is not allowed to read that article you linked:


"While most of our pages are available in a version of latimes.com created for European Union users, some are currently unavailable. We are engaged on the issue and committed to identifying technical compliance solutions to this problem. Thanks for your interest in the Los Angeles Times. "

 

[Owlet]

here's the article Scott sent copy and pasted

To meet Paul Schrade, a tall, white-haired 77-year-old with a gently bemused smile, you'd never suspect that he's obsessed with a poisonous nut. Mention the bitter almond, however, and the retired union organizer won't stop talking about how--on a culinary tour of Sicily in 1990--he fell in love with its powerful, unique flavor, which gives marzipan and almond milk their characteristic taste. Even after he was told that raw bitter almonds contained a form of cyanide and were illegal in the Unites States, Schrade was fascinated.

"I thought, 'European chefs make good use of bitter almonds for cooking and baking--why shouldn't we?'" he says.

Through his second career as a bakery consultant and forager for Campanile restaurant, Schrade sought to spur a revival of the ancient Mediterranean flavoring in California. Undeterred, or perhaps intrigued, by the nut's sinister reputation--spread by mystery tales in which the detective sniffed the odor of bitter almonds on a cyanide victim's breath--he sleuthed relentlessly for sources and information.

He learned that most of the original wild species of almonds were bitter, but that, as the nuts came into cultivation thousands of years ago, farmers began concentrating their crops toward sweet types, the kind grown today in California.



A recessive gene causes bitter almond trees to produce in their shoots, leaves and kernels a toxic compound called amygdalin, which serves as a chemical defense against being eaten. When amygdalin is moistened, it splits into edible benzaldehyde, which provides an intense almond aroma and flavor, and deadly hydrocyanic acid, a fast-acting inhibitor of the respiratory system.

The lethal dose of raw bitter almonds depends on the size of the nuts, their concentration of amygdalin and the consumer's sensitivity. But scientists estimate that a 150-pound adult might die from eating between 10 and 70 raw nuts, and a child from ingesting just a few.

In any case, although it may be safe for most adults to nibble a raw bitter almond to experience its intense flavor, that would be unpleasant to most people. The nuts are not meant to be eaten as a snack food like regular almonds: They're used as a spice, like nutmeg or cinnamon.

Schrade, who studied organic chemistry at Yale, learned that because hydrocyanic acid vanishes into the air when heated, cooking destroys the poison in bitter almonds and allows them to lend their flavor to a wide range of dishes, both traditional and modern.

In the course of his explorations, Schrade found several California chefs eager to cook with bitter almonds. At the center of this informal network is Tim Woods of Echo restaurant in Fresno, famed for his zealous use of local ingredients.

Since bitter almonds are usually not available commercially, he harvests his nuts from nearby wild and backyard trees, and uses them to add a pleasing bite to the richness of bread pudding with caramel and to stone-fruit cobblers. He also shares his supplies with Sean Lippert, formerly chef of Across the Street in New York, for her bitter almond granita, and with Judy Rodgers of Zuni Cafe in Berkeley and Kim Boyce, pastry chef of Campanile, who both use the nuts to flavor panna cotta and ice cream.

Until recent decades, most Mediterranean almond orchards were grown from seed, and the shuffling of genes resulted in a mix of bitter almond trees among the sweet. Growers liked to keep a few bitter trees around because they helped to pollinize the sweet varieties. The inclusion of bitter nuts gave snackers occasional unpleasant surprises, but they deepened the flavor of marzipan, almond milk and glazes for cakes. In Italy, bitter almond paste was traditionally used to make crisp amaretti cookies, and bitter almond extract flavored amaretto liqueur. In Greece, bitter almonds are used in soumada, a sweet syrup.

There's little large-scale cultivation of bitter almonds left in Spain and Italy, mostly just scattered trees remain, but it is still possible to buy raw bitter almonds at European specialty markets. Morocco and Iran now lead in commercial production of bitter almonds.



In the United States, the lack of clear information about bitter almonds' legal status has squelched their cultivation, trade and use. No stores regularly stock bitter almonds, so cooks seeking them have had to rely, like Woods, on seedling trees growing wild along streams, roads and railroad tracks.

"I don't know if I should sell them or not," says Bill Fujimoto, owner of Monterey Market in Berkeley, which carries bitter almonds occasionally. "I don't leave them out on the counter. I sell them only when people who know bitter almonds ask me for some."

 

[Scott]

Sorry Christa, but glad you mentioned as the article seems to highlight cyanide issue and origin of bitter almonds.

Thanks for reposting, Owlet!!

 

[greytness]

If we buy human grade unsalted deluxe mixed nuts for our fids, we should be okay, right?
I also buy bulk unshelled nuts from our specialty grocery store. My fids love to crack open the almond shells. Should these be okay?

How could a bitter almond become mixed in with other nuts? Very frightening thought.

 

[Owlet]

If we buy human grade unsalted deluxe mixed nuts for our fids, we should be okay, right?
I also buy bulk unshelled nuts from our specialty grocery store. My fids love to crack open the almond shells. Should these be okay?

How could a bitter almond become mixed in with other nuts? Very frightening thought.

might have been a factory error... human grade is generally safe. Just avoid peanuts for the most part. They're not really nuts and have their own potential issues.

 

[SailBoat]

If we buy human grade unsalted deluxe mixed nuts for our fids, we should be okay, right?
I also buy bulk unshelled nuts from our specialty grocery store. My fids love to crack open the almond shells. Should these be okay?

How could a bitter almond become mixed in with other nuts? Very frightening thought.

Without going into the detailed process involved, each product that enters a 'Human Grade Facility' is from a confirmed and approved supplier. So, based on your statement above; Yes, that will be okay.
Getting picky, I prefer dry roasted /unsalted nuts.
FYI: Owlet's comments regarding Peanuts have strong merit and is well worth researching issues regarding Peanuts and Parrots.