Tag: Parasorbic acid

Despite their tempting bright red-orange color, wild rowan berries contain a toxic compound that can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and kidney damage. This is what happens if you eat rowan berries raw, as the heat from cooking is required to neutralize the harmful substance.

Most wild-foraged berries need some form of processing, and a common myth suggests that wild rowanberries are safe to consume directly from the tree. However, you cannot eat rowanberries raw due to the presence of harmful parasorbic acid, which requires heat or freezing to neutralize.