Luxembourg – RECALL: FLUTE CEREALS & SEEDS OF THE CHÂTEAU BLANC BRAND – Mycotoxin – Ergot Alkaloids

Danger  : Presence of ergot alkaloids in rye flour

Ergots or sclerotia are formed by a fungus ( Claviceps purpurea ), a parasite of rye and other cereals. Sclerotia or ergots replace the seed and contain alkaloids, in particular lysergic acid from which LSD is derived, toxins responsible for diseases observed in humans as well as in animals (ergotism). Ergotism, more specifically linked to the ingestion of ergot from rye, is known to be responsible for the “Saint Anthony’s fires” or “mal des ardents” observed in humans. Symptoms included slow blood circulation, which caused alternating feelings of extreme heat and cold, and then gangrene in the extremities of the body. Nerve seizures could also occur.