The cheap cupboard staple that's poisonous if eaten raw or not cooked 'furiously'

While many of us like to nibble on ingredients as we cook, certain foods should are dangerous if eaten raw.

Sampling a raw mushroom out of curiosity before tossing it into the pan might seem harmless, but beware that some foods can be dangerous if eaten uncooked.

Red kidney beans are a staple in many meals like chilli con carne, yet they harbour a risk when not prepared correctly. Although readily available canned and ready to eat, those who opt for raw beans need to take caution.

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Good Food advises that failing to boil them "furiously" for 20 minutes can result in them being poisonous. Consuming just four to five raw red kidney beans could trigger symptoms of toxicity, according to the Food Network.

The correct method involves soaking red kidney beans overnight, discarding the soaking water – which absorbs the compounds that upset your gut – and then cooking them in fresh salted water.

In the UK from July 1976 to February 1989, there were 50 instances of suspected red kidney bean poisoning, resulting in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea within hours after consuming improperly prepared beans.

The presence of haemagglutinin in beans was confirmed by a study published in the National Library of Medicine, which noted: "The haemagglutinin (lectin), which occurs naturally in the red kidney bean, is inactivated by thorough cooking of well soaked beans."

"In many of the outbreaks reported the implicated beans were consumed raw or following an inadequate heat process."