Is swallowing moisture-absorbing beads dangerous?

What Happens If You Accidentally Swallow a Silica Gel Packet That Says “Do Not Eat”?

We often encounter moisture-absorbing packets placed inside medicine bottles, bags of snacks, or food products. These moisture packets are always labeled with a warning that says “Do not eat.” So, what would happen if we accidentally ingested or intentionally consumed these packets?

According to Howstuffworks, what you might have swallowed from the moisture packet is silica gel (also known as silicon dioxide gel) or other moisture-absorbing substances – compounds that have the ability to absorb and retain water. These small packets are found in various products to help ensure quality.

Transported goods can be affected by climate and temperature conditions. Increased humidity can damage part or all of a product. For example, if a bottle of vitamins contains moisture and is rapidly cooled, the condensation can spoil the tablets. You will find small silica gel packets in any product packaging that is at risk of spoilage due to moisture.

The sole job of these small moisture absorbers is to absorb moisture.

Silica gel can absorb moisture up to about 40% of its weight, reducing the relative humidity in the container by 40%. Once the gel becomes saturated, you can remove the moisture and reuse the silica gel by heating it above 300°F (approximately 150°C).

Silica gel is nearly harmless, which is why you find it in food products. Silica, essentially silicon dioxide (SiO₂), is a similar material found in quartz. The gel form contains millions of tiny pores that can absorb and hold moisture.

Silica gel has been around since the 1600s; however, it was hardly used until its moisture-absorbing properties were utilized in gas masks during World War I.

Silica gel can absorb a significant amount of water, about one-third of its weight, without undergoing any chemical reactions or shape changes. Even when saturated, the particles remain dry to the touch and can be reused after being heated at 121°C for 2 hours. This property makes silica gel particularly useful for controlling moisture and humidity. In wartime, it was used to preserve medicines, military equipment, and supplies.

Although silica gel is nearly harmless, it would be quite uncomfortable to try to eat silica crystals. The sole job of these small moisture absorbers is to absorb moisture. If you pour a packet into your mouth, moisture will be drawn away from the sides and roof of your mouth, and your gums and tongue will feel dry as if deprived of water. After spitting this material out, you may continue to experience symptoms such as dry eyes, a dry throat; in more severe cases, the mucous membranes and nasal cavity can also dry out, leading to stomach discomfort.

So how many packets of silica would it take to absorb all the water from someone’s body? Let’s take a man weighing 95 kg as an example. We know that 70 percent of the human body is made of water – 70 percent of 95 kg is about 66.6 kg. We also know that silica gel can absorb moisture equivalent to about 40% of its weight. Thus, we would need 166.69 kg of silica gel to absorb 66.6 kg of water. Since one packet of silica gel weighs 2.8 grams, a man weighing approximately 95 kg would need to consume 58,800 packets of silica gel for it to absorb all the water in his body.

Silica gel is not entirely dangerous, but it is also not safe.

So why is there a warning “do not eat” on the moisture packets? In reality, silica gel is not completely harmful, but it is not safe either.

The problem is that moisture packets often contain an additive known as Cobalt Chloride II. This substance is added to readily observe the signs of moisture absorption in the silica gel particles, causing them to appear blue when dry and turn pink when they have absorbed moisture. Cobalt Chloride II is a substance that can be harmful to humans and is even suspected to be carcinogenic.

Another reason to avoid eating a moisture packet is that you cannot know what the silica gel has been exposed to in its surrounding environment. Silica gel can also absorb other dirty substances during production or transportation; sometimes, it may even absorb a bit of pesticides or fungicides.

In summary, while eating a moisture packet is not an immediately life-threatening issue, it is clearly a bad idea and should be avoided.

Currently, moisture packets are sold separately for consumers to use to absorb moisture in homes, electronics, etc. However, one important thing to note when using moisture packets is not to dispose of silica gel down the drain, as these particles do not dissolve in water and can cause plumbing blockages.