On Wed, 6 Oct 1999, Ray Audette wrote:

> "Potatoes are clearly inedible in their
> raw state and there have been more than 30 deaths reported in humans in
> this century from eating raw potatoes (Slanina P.  Solanine
> (Glycoalkaloids) in potatoes: toxicological evaluation. Fd Chem Toxic
> 1990 28:759-61.)."  (quoted from Loren Cordain on Paleodiet
Symposium)

I understand the point he is making, but we have evidence here
that the blanket claim "Potatoes are clearly inedible in their
raw state" needs to be qualified.  We have heard from a number of
people who have eaten raw potatoes without difficulty, and that
is sufficient to refute the claim that they are inedible.  This
is not inconsistent with the 30 deaths this century.  That is
actually a rather small number.  If we were to produce a similar
number of deaths from eating raw meat (and I don't doubt that we
could), should we conclude that raw meat is inedible?  No, the
strongest conclusion we should reach is that there are some
dangers associated with these foods.

Not surprisingly, the situation is more complicated than it at
first seems to be.  It appears to be possible to eat the raw
potatoes, if it is done in the right way.  Furthermore, the
dangers can be reduced by means of a technology easily within the
"sharp stick" level: soaking and/or roasting.  So what are we to
say?  They could have eaten some potatoes but probably didn't?
They probably did eat some potatoes but shouldn't have?

I don't have any answers here, but the situation is roughly
analogous to the case of some grains, which can be eaten raw in
the "green" state or soaked and sprouted, and the notorious
"Bambi cheese" case -- these foods are certainly available at the
sharp stick level of technology.

What are we to make of this?

Todd Moody
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