Are dry kidney beans toxic?
– Renee Vertin (Washington County) brought to my attention an issue that may be raising concern in school districts. An email has been circulating that purports that dry kidney beans are toxic and thus should not be used in manipulative areas for young children. Concern was also raised over the use of crock pots to cook kidney beans. I requested insight into this issue from food and nutrition specialists nationwide and received a response highlighting information from the FDA Bad Bug Book that I have summarized below: 1. Acute Disease: Red Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Poisoning, Kinkoti Bean Poisoning, and possibly other names. 2. Nature of Disease: A natural component of kidney beans, a lectin or hemagglutinin, is known to agglutinate many mammalian red blood cell types, alter cell membrane transport systems, alter cell permeability to proteins, and generally interfere with cellular metabolism. The onset time from consumption of raw or undercooked kidney beans to symptoms varies f
