CONFESSIONS OF A PRISON COOK: A FUSION OF FOOD & CRIME

  Sweet Potato as a Silencer:  In a Massachusetts cold case murder from 2011, DNA evidence on a sweet potato found at the scene helped lead to an arrest in 2023. Prosecutors alleged the sweet potato had been used as a makeshift silencer, possibly inspired by an episode of the HBO show "The Wire".  In the 2002 film "Red Dragon," the character Hannibal Lecter is revealed to be a cannibal who uses organs, including #sweetbreads, in his cooking, leading to a confrontation where FBI agent Will Graham stabs and shoots Lecter.

  Rat Lungworm Disease:   This parasitic disease is caused by the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which can be found in snails and slugs that have come into contact with rat feces. Consuming raw or undercooked snails or slugs infected with this parasite can lead to a potentially fatal condition called eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. >One example of this risk is the tragic case of Sam Ballard, an Australian teenager who swallowed a slug on a dare in 2010 and contracted the disease, leading to his death in 2018.

:  The peel of purple #PASSIONFRUIT and the pulp of very young, unripe fruits can contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can potentially form cyanide in the body.  Some individuals may experience an allergic reaction to passion fruit, particularly if they are also allergic to latex One search result mentions a book titled "A Crime of Passion Fruit: A Bakeshop Mystery". This is a fictional work and not a real crime.  

A recall was issued for  Premium Navy Beans due to undeclared soy . While not a direct crime in every case, mislabeling food products, especially concerning allergens, can have serious consequences and potentially lead to legal action. Consuming these beans raw or undercooked can lead to  phytohaemagglutinin poisoning , which primarily manifests as gastrointestinal distress.  

Johnsonville #Bratwurst cheddar sausages are being  recalled   because it may contain foreign material in the form of hard plastic pieces.

  The Knot, an online wedding planning resource, recommends adding a small warning note to Jordan almond wedding favors advising guests to be cautious while enjoying them. One online forum post discusses tooth-related issues from Jordan almonds, where one person's boss's wife cracked a tooth requiring a root canal, and the poster themselves cracked a molar.

On March 22, 2005, a woman named Anna Ayala claimed she found a severed human finger in a bowl of #chili she bought at a #Wendy's restaurant in San Jose, California. This shocking story made headlines and generated national attention. However, investigations revealed that the whole thing was a hoax! Further investigations indicated that Ayala had planted the finger herself as part of a scheme with her husband to damage to Wendy's reputation and resulted in $21 million in lost sales.