Can you eat Silica gel?

No, you can't!

Silica gel packets contain small grains of silicon dioxide in solid form. It is a drying agent that can draw in water molecules through the paper packaging. Manufacturers often place packets of these in certain foods and commercial products to minimise the amount of moisture inside packaging and prevent mould and bacterial growth. While silica gel is usually nontoxic if ingested, some people have choked on it. For this reason, manufacturers label them "Do not eat."

Silica gel is made from silicon dioxide, a component naturally found in sand. It has small particles that can absorb significant amounts of water. Silica gel will appear as small, clear, round beads or as small, clear rocks. The gel acts as a desiccant, pulling water out of the air to reduce the likelihood that moisture and mould will damage an item.

Silica gel packets can often be found in the following:

in bottles of medications and vitamins
in jacket coat pockets
in museum display cases to preserve the contents
in new cellphone and camera boxes
with shoes and purses

Manufacturers started labelling silica gel packets with more alarming language — some even have a skull and crossbones — because the Poison Control Centers started to report more incidences of people swallowing the packets on accident. Most of the cases involved children under 6.

Unfortunately, children can mistake a packet for food, candy, or a chew toy and eat the silica gel or the entire packet. Sometimes, adults may mistake silica gel packets for salt or sugar packets. Silica gel is chemically inert. This means it won't break down in the body and cause poisoning. However, because it won't break down, the gel or packet and gel can cause choking. Manufacturers often label them "Do not eat" or "Throw away after using."

Eating silica gel shouldn't make you sick. Most often, it'll pass through your body and exit without any harmful effects to you. Although silica gel isn't likely to harm you, this isn't a license to eat a lot of it. The gel doesn't have any nutritious value and has the potential to cause intestinal obstruction if eaten in large quantities.

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