Beware the smell of bitter almonds: Why do many food plants contain cyanide?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 16:07
in Biology & Nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- In murder mysteries, the detective usually diagnoses cyanide poisoning by the scent of bitter almonds wafting from the corpse. The detective knows what many of us might find surprising - that the deadly poison cyanide is naturally present in bitter almonds and many other plants used as food, including apples, peaches, apricots, lima beans, barley, sorghum, flaxseed and bamboo shoots.