Odd reaction to Broccoli?

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sterry01
sterry01 Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
I always get the frozen broccoli from Schwan's, and have been eating that for months w/o any probs, but even before that when I've had broccoli, I've never had a issue. A couple days ago my Aunt brought me a few stalks of broccoli raw fresh from the market. I decided to use it last night, so I cut off the lil tree parts, florets? and heated them in the microwave for almost 2 mins to melt some light cheese sauce over it. They looked fine and green, nothing seemed odd about them before I made them.

Well, I ate my dinner, and about an hr or so later I started to feel nauseated, and my head was hurting. This continued for about an hr, and thru the night I ended up getting sick multiple times,throwing up the broccoli. When I woke this morning, my face is now swollen around the eyes, and blotchy red all around the eyes and cheeks. I've never had this reaction before to food, esp not broccoli! Has anyone had this happen before, a sudden what seems to be allergic reaction to something they've ate before w/o issue?

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  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    Fresh Broccoli...Did you wash it off thoroughly?
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I always get the frozen broccoli from Schwan's, and have been eating that for months w/o any probs, but even before that when I've had broccoli, I've never had a issue. A couple days ago my Aunt brought me a few stalks of broccoli raw fresh from the market. I decided to use it last night, so I cut off the lil tree parts, florets? and heated them in the microwave for almost 2 mins to melt some light cheese sauce over it. They looked fine and green, nothing seemed odd about them before I made them.

    Well, I ate my dinner, and about an hr or so later I started to feel nauseated, and my head was hurting. This continued for about an hr, and thru the night I ended up getting sick multiple times,throwing up the broccoli. When I woke this morning, my face is now swollen around the eyes, and blotchy red all around the eyes and cheeks. I've never had this reaction before to food, esp not broccoli! Has anyone had this happen before, a sudden what seems to be allergic reaction to something they've ate before w/o issue?

    That to me sounds like you had a reaction to any chemicals/fertilizers. Did you wash the broccoli prior to working with it?

    The other thing could be if it came into contact with some other contamination, liquid-variety.

    If you didnt work on a clean surface when cutting them, you may have cross contaminated the broccoli. And, by cutting it, you have moved the contaminant through out the product.

    I would consider calling the store and letting them know there was a problem with the broccoli you purchased.... and coordinate your call with the Health Dept. There might be a problem that needs tracing back to the distributor who sold the broccoli to the store...
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Go get some benedryl.
  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
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    I always get the frozen broccoli from Schwan's, and have been eating that for months w/o any probs, but even before that when I've had broccoli, I've never had a issue. A couple days ago my Aunt brought me a few stalks of broccoli raw fresh from the market. I decided to use it last night, so I cut off the lil tree parts, florets? and heated them in the microwave for almost 2 mins to melt some light cheese sauce over it. They looked fine and green, nothing seemed odd about them before I made them.

    Well, I ate my dinner, and about an hr or so later I started to feel nauseated, and my head was hurting. This continued for about an hr, and thru the night I ended up getting sick multiple times,throwing up the broccoli. When I woke this morning, my face is now swollen around the eyes, and blotchy red all around the eyes and cheeks. I've never had this reaction before to food, esp not broccoli! Has anyone had this happen before, a sudden what seems to be allergic reaction to something they've ate before w/o issue?

    My sister had the same reaction with peaches. She was fine with them until the age of thirteen where she had a pretty horrible reaction to them. Now she can't eat them at all without getting hives.
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
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    I would agree with the pesticide idea or could it have been the cheese sauce?
  • sterry01
    sterry01 Posts: 4
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    Yes, I had washed it before making it, maybe I didn't get it washed off enough. I wasn't sure if it was possible to develop a allergy to a food like that or if the likely cause was more something like the pesticide or chemicals used on it. I'm a bit hesitant to try the usual Schwan's broccoli now, in case it is a sudden reaction to the veggie itself.

    I'll contact the market she purchased it from, and let them know about my reaction in case there's some contamination w/the broccoli they have there. Thanks for the input!

    The cheese sauce I've used many times as well, the diff type of broccoli was the only change in last nights meal that I can think of.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Yes, I had washed it before making it, maybe I didn't get it washed off enough. I wasn't sure if it was possible to develop a allergy to a food like that or if the likely cause was more something like the pesticide or chemicals used on it. I'm a bit hesitant to try the usual Schwan's broccoli now, in case it is a sudden reaction to the veggie itself.

    I'll contact the market she purchased it from, and let them know about my reaction in case there's some contamination w/the broccoli they have there. Thanks for the input!

    The cheese sauce I've used many times as well, the diff type of broccoli was the only change in last nights meal that I can think of.

    I would also consider your local health dept as well....
  • cassavaca
    cassavaca Posts: 89 Member
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    it could be an allergic reaction to the broccoli or something that was on it. Most people react to foods that are raw. it is the protein that is in the food and most cooked foods dont have a trace of the protein in them. Maybe when you cooked the raw stalks, that you didnt cook all the protein out, or there is a cross reactivity to something that is associated with the broccoli and where it was farmed. it can be many things. As an adult your body develops allergies to things, as in my case, ive never had issues with any foods, but now i have I have a list of 10+ known foods im allergic to. I would get tested by an ENT doctor...food allergies are nothing to mess with.
  • pants77
    pants77 Posts: 185 Member
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    I don't have anything helpful to offer other than my sympathies.

    I always have the same reaction to broccoli - intense urge to vomit.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I know I cannot eat fresh carrots and lots of tree fruits raw because of the pollens. I'm not allergic to the food itself but the pollen. Cooking it has been my only way to not have a reaction.... or benadryll
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    That's interesting! I agree with call the store etc just in case it was contaminated.

    I once had an allergic reaction to peanuts (at least, I think it was the peanuts) at work, nothing quite as dramatic as what you describe, but my chest broke out in hives. I've never had a peanut allergy and I've eaten them since without any problem. No stomach problems though. My cubicle neighbor is allergic to about 20 different foods and she shared some Benadryl with me which helped a lot and calmed down the hives.
  • flobeedoodle
    flobeedoodle Posts: 176 Member
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    Wow, this sounds familiar. I have strange reactions to food sometimes: almost immediate stomach pains, followed by violent vomiting which results in broken blood vessels in my face that look like black eyes and big red splotches. I think I may be having a reaction to a commercial cleaning product or preservative, not to the food itself, as it has happened with a number of different foods, and I have never had a problem in my, or anyone else's, home.

    I am wondering if you had a reaction to some preservative/fertilizer/insecticide/herbicide that was left on the broccoli from the growing or shipping process. Did you wash the broccoli well before you cooked it? What country are you in? Do you know what kind of market your Aunt got the broccoli at (farmer's market, green grocer, super market?) I would love to know more about your experience, as I have never really been able to figure out what causes my episodes.
  • cassavaca
    cassavaca Posts: 89 Member
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    it could be an allergic reaction to the broccoli or something that was on it. Most people react to foods that are raw. it is the protein that is in the food and most cooked foods dont have a trace of the protein in them. Maybe when you cooked the raw stalks, that you didnt cook all the protein out, or there is a cross reactivity to something that is associated with the broccoli and where it was farmed. it can be many things. As an adult your body develops allergies to things, as in my case, ive never had issues with any foods, but now i have I have a list of 10+ known foods im allergic to. I would get tested by an ENT doctor...food allergies are nothing to mess with.

    or as others said, it could be something with the cheese.
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
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    That sounds to me like a classic allergic reaction.

    Often if foods are frozen or cooked (and it sounds like you were only having frozen previously?) it can essentially break down the proteins in that food - and the proteins are what you are allergic/sensitive to.

    Microwaving the fresh broccoli may not have broken down the proteins enough for you?
  • sterry01
    sterry01 Posts: 4
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    Wow, this sounds familiar. I have strange reactions to food sometimes: almost immediate stomach pains, followed by violent vomiting which results in broken blood vessels in my face that look like black eyes and big red splotches. I think I may be having a reaction to a commercial cleaning product or preservative, not to the food itself, as it has happened with a number of different foods, and I have never had a problem in my, or anyone else's, home.

    I am wondering if you had a reaction to some preservative/fertilizer/insecticide/herbicide that was left on the broccoli from the growing or shipping process. Did you wash the broccoli well before you cooked it? What country are you in? Do you know what kind of market your Aunt got the broccoli at (farmer's market, green grocer, super market?) I would love to know more about your experience, as I have never really been able to figure out what causes my episodes.

    I washed it before I microwaved it, but it was a quick rinse/wash. I usually buy my broccoli frozen, and other veggies that I get fresh are packed and pre washed well, so I'm thinking maybe I didn't wash it well enough, that's all I can really think may have caused it. I'm in the U.S. and I believe she bought it from a farmer's market but I'm not positive. I'm going to try to get a hold of her to find out more about where to contact them. I've had broccoli just last wk from Schwan's and not had issue, using the same cheese sauce, so it was unusual to suddenly have this reaction last night. All I can think of is agreeing w/what others have said here, perhaps chemicals or pesticides didn't get cleaned enough or some other type of contamination from the market.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    Definately sounds like a reaction to me, my daughter has the same reactions to broccoli. Frozen is a little better for her but she doesn't eat it at all any more.
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
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    Wow, this sounds familiar. I have strange reactions to food sometimes: almost immediate stomach pains, followed by violent vomiting which results in broken blood vessels in my face that look like black eyes and big red splotches. I think I may be having a reaction to a commercial cleaning product or preservative, not to the food itself, as it has happened with a number of different foods, and I have never had a problem in my, or anyone else's, home.

    I am wondering if you had a reaction to some preservative/fertilizer/insecticide/herbicide that was left on the broccoli from the growing or shipping process. Did you wash the broccoli well before you cooked it? What country are you in? Do you know what kind of market your Aunt got the broccoli at (farmer's market, green grocer, super market?) I would love to know more about your experience, as I have never really been able to figure out what causes my episodes.

    I washed it before I microwaved it, but it was a quick rinse/wash. I usually buy my broccoli frozen, and other veggies that I get fresh are packed and pre washed well, so I'm thinking maybe I didn't wash it well enough, that's all I can really think may have caused it. I'm in the U.S. and I believe she bought it from a farmer's market but I'm not positive. I'm going to try to get a hold of her to find out more about where to contact them. I've had broccoli just last wk from Schwan's and not had issue, using the same cheese sauce, so it was unusual to suddenly have this reaction last night. All I can think of is agreeing w/what others have said here, perhaps chemicals or pesticides didn't get cleaned enough or some other type of contamination from the market.


    If it's from a farmer's market it's very unlikely it had chemicals/pesticides at all - at least where I am from.

    Again, sounds much more like an allergic reaction to me. If you stick to the frozen stuff you should be fine (as I noted above this essentially breaks down the proteins you are allergic to).
  • sewatts3
    sewatts3 Posts: 1
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    I found this thread while searching for what could possibly be on my fresh broccoli I recently bought. I noticed an oily film on the water in the sink when I was washing it. I got a real good price on the broccoli and bought lots of it planning to freeze what I didn't use right away. I don't recall using any dish soap when I washed it. I just filled the sink with cold water with the thought of rehydrating it a bit because the leaves and stems were a touch wilty. In the mean time this oil appeared. I ate lots of the broccoli raw and after blanching it before I froze it. I had no reaction like was described in the previous posts but am concerned as to what it is, One thought I had was it is a preservative applied to keep it from maturing. I haven't gotten it all froze yet. It is sealed in a plastic bag and appears to be keeping very well. That in itself is odd because seldom does fresh broccoli last more than a couple of days in the frig without going ahead and blooming. Would appreciate it if anyone knows what is on it.

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