Yew

[scouserjoe]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year.

I have turned a couple of bowls from Yew and would like to use one as a fruit bowl. I have researched Yew and can't find find much agreement as to whether it is too toxic to use with food. No site seems able to suggest a finish or other way to ensure I don't poison people! Some sites say it should never be used in this way, others insist that there is no such thing as a list of 'banned' timber.

I wonder if any of you experienced turners and woodworkers could shed light on this?

Regards

 

[carlb40]

This might be of interest?
is-yew-wood-too-poisonous-for-a-chopping-board-t50099.html

 

[Peter Sefton]

I can't say I have the answer but it is not a wood I would use for food goods, most parts of the tree are highly poisonous :!:
The traditional and best woods for food goods are Beech, Sycamore and Maple.
Peter

 

[shed9]

If the doubt here is the potential taxine poisoning of people, I'd get a professional answer from a professional source.

I don't mean that to sound terse, I really don't.

Personally if it was me, I'd repurpose the bowls until I knew for absolute certain.

 

[Grahamshed]

I have to agree. Yew wood is toxic but that is PROBABLY if ingested rather than if something is eaten from off it...... but what is the point in taking the risk ?

 

[carlb40]

As far as i am aware i think only Deer can eat anything off the tree without being poisoned.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Everything on a yew tree is poisonous except for the one thing that looks poisonous .... the berries !

 

[Grahamshed]

Everything on a yew tree is poisonous except for the one thing that looks poisonous .... the berries !

but the seeds IN the berries are the worst of all.

 

[Woodmonkey]

The berries are actually quite tasty. Just need to make sure you spit the seeds out. Have heard of people making jam from them too. I've been using a yew bowl to eat peanuts from for a few years with no Ill effects, except for hairy palms. (Not sure if that's the yew or not...)

 

[shed9]

The berries are actually quite tasty. Just need to make sure you spit the seeds out. Have heard of people making jam from them too. I've been using a yew bowl to eat peanuts from for a few years with no Ill effects, except for hairy palms. (Not sure if that's the yew or not...)

Just pulled this from the T'internet, so it must be true

Taxine toxicity symptoms in humans;

In cases of deliberate yew poisoning in humans, signs and symptoms are similar to those reported in animals. Human ingestion of yew causes dizziness, pupil dilation, nausea, hairy palms, vomiting, diffuse abdominal pain, tachycardia (initially), muscle weakness, and convulsions. These symptoms can proceed to bradycardia, bradypnea, diastolic cardiac standstill, or death.

I'd go see the doctor.

 

[Woodmonkey]

:lol: :lol: funny thing is, it's only when there's a full moon...

 

[matthewwh]

Apparently the yew itself is not poisonous, the toxin comes from a fungus that lives in it. The fungus can continue to survive long after the tree is cut, so food wise there would logically still be an element of risk.

Good news - the fungus (or fungi of the same genus) is now being cultivated as a potential source of treatments for breast cancer.

Many species have natural antiseptic properties and are therefore very suitable for use with food. Beech and sycamore are hard, close grained and unlikely to taint the food - hence their popularity for culinary applications like chopping boards and rolling pins.