### THE BITTERSWEET TALE: UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF DIAMOND SHRUUMZ CHOCOLATE BARS

Chocolate, usually a symbol of a hedonistic indulgence, is in the midst of another health scare, as perplexing as it is terrifying. Reports of severe adverse reactions to eating Diamond Shruumz-brand Microdosing Chocolate Bars have come in from across the United States. The story is bittersweet: it is a tale of alarm, mystery and national health alert. So far, nobody knows why. But the country’s chocolate lovers, health officials and consumers are waiting patiently to find out.

#### A DISTURBING PATTERN EMERGES

Federal and state health agencies have been reporting a troubling pattern in recent weeks: people eating chocolate bars laced with a ‘mushroom blend’. Some have been struck by a variety of severe symptoms: seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion and abnormal heart rates. Many have been hospitalised, and there has been an outcry about public health.

#### THE WIDE REACH OF FEAR

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found versions of the salmonella in bars collected from states as far east as Pennsylvania and as far south as Arizona. Victims are scattered from the western to midwestern US. Not that the FDA merely suspects another outbreak of CHOK – the agency has confirmed cases in at least a half dozen states. Health officials are understandably worried. Victims are spread out over at least nine states, with states as far east as Pennsylvania publicising the issue. This is a national concern. Banner Poison and Drug Information Center’s Maureen Roland and Steve Dudley of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center both treat ill patients who consumed the chocolate bars.

#### UNWRAPPING THE MYSTERY

And at the centre of the crisis is a product steeped in delusion. Diamond Shruumz’s Microdosing Chocolate Bars have been advertised as ‘made with a primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms’. However, despite assurances by the company, and posted lab analyses showing that ‘all known illegal and hallucinogenic compounds (psilocybin/psilocin) and unnatural adulterants were not detected’, the reality of consumer experience is starkly at odds with this.

#### THE DUAL-EDGED SWORD OF ACCESSIBILITY

Making matters more problematic, the chocolates are readily available: despite all the attention paid to the rash of health scares and hospitalisations, Diamond Shruumz’s products can still be purchased online, and are distributed to smoke/vape shops and gas stations across the US. The online-to-bricks-and-mortar distribution network ensures that microdosed chocolates have broad distribution as an apparent feelgood product that can be promoted to the same kinds of ‘can’t even’ consumers attracted by chocolate and microdosing.

#### THE NATIONAL RESPONSE

In response to these worrisome findings, the FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and America’s Poison Centers, has launched a multifaceted investigation to determine the source of the illnesses that have affected people who have eaten Diamond Shruumz’s chocolates. In the meantime, the FDA has issued a stern warning to consumers not to eat, sell or serve the chocolate bars, and has advised retailers to pull them from the shelves. At the public-health level, the situation is dire. Sales of the bars have ceased.

#### A CALL TO VIGILANCE

As the drama unfolds, here’s the takeaway from public health authorities: be careful, and be watchful. Don’t eat these chocolates. If you have any bars around, throw them out. The investigation could take some time to complete, but for now it shows us just how vitally necessary regulatory oversight is, and how dangerous untested wellness products can be.

### UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF CHOCOLATE IN THIS MYSTERY

Chocolate has had a long history as a flavour sensation, mood enhancer and even medicinal substance, so Diamond Shruumz’s chocolate bars make this tale something of a cautionary chapter. While the history of chocolate might be generally pleasant and delicious, this case demonstrates the necessity for consumers to ‘know what’s in their products’ – especially when combining the palatable familiarity of chocolate with other ingredients. These chocolate bars are a reminder that the object that comes packaged in the wrapper might be dangerous – and that regulation and scientific scrutiny are needed.

The story emerging in the process of this investigation helps remind all of us – from consumers to suppliers – to try to feel our way, to be circumspect, even sophisticated, in what we consume. In the face of chocolate’s seductive promise of health, the primacy of its safety; the need for clarity and transparency; the critical importance of knowing what we are drinking, what we are eating – this has perhaps never been clearer.