silica (do not eat) pakets are eaten by accident

[northstarhope]

They really need to stop putting these silica(do not eat pakets) in our foods i have found them in packaged salads mix, beef jerky, ect , silica is not meant to be consumed by humans or animals especially children. I think we need to notify consumer safety.

[HollyBearsMom]

Welcome to MDC!

Can you elaborate your concerns?

[Marsupialmom]

Not it isn't meant to be eaten by humans or animals but that is because it will take moisture away and create one heck of cotton mouth.  We stored my dd hearing aid in it.  ER trip later.......we found out it wasn't a huge deal. 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/digestive/ate-silica-packet.htm

[northstarhope]

Hi, yes, my concerns are that silica,(do not eat) pakets are directly put into our food products, such as salad lettuce mix, beef jerky, ect. and even though they read do not eat, as you can see by some of the other post, sometimes they are consumed by acccident. from everything i have learned about silica, i sure would not want to consume it.

                                                          thanks for your reply

[Marsupialmom]

I really need to see your research because it goes against mine. 

[HollyBearsMom]

They are used primarily in processed foods.  THE FDA has deemed them "safe" but even so if you avoid processed foods you will avoid the silica packets,

[lunarlady]

The ones in kids toys irk me more. Our friends child thought they were sprinkles and ate some on X-mas day last year when he found them in the cooking set he got as a gift. 911 and poison control phone call later they find out that eating them is not toxic, but inhaling them is. So they say do not eat because they can stick in your throat, then you can breathe them in to your lungs and cause serious lung damage. Terrible! Yet another reason to buy fresh and local...less shelf time means chemical dessicents are not necessary.