What Happens if You Eat Silica Gel?Ĭhildren can mistake silica gel for food or candy and eat either the silica gel or the entire packet. Cobalt chloride-coated silica gel isn’t usually used for consumer products. Cobalt chloride is a moisture indicator that is dark blue when dry and pink when saturated with water. Eating cobalt chloride-coated silica gel will likely cause nausea and vomiting. However, in some rare instances, manufacturers coat silica gel in cobalt chloride, a toxic compound. Silica gel is non-toxic but it is a choking hazard for young children. Manufacturers frequently label packets “Do not eat” because poison control centers have reported increases in incidences of people accidentally eating silica gel packets. Foods (e.g., packets of dry fruit and beef jerky).Electronics (e.g., cellphone and camera boxes).Silica gel packets can often be found in the following products: Therefore, desiccant silica gel packets are put in store-bought products to prevent damage due to humidity. Silica gel is made from silicon dioxide - a compound naturally found in sand - and has small particles that can absorb large amounts of water. Silica gel is a “desiccant,” which means that it’s used to keep things dry. Silica gel packets are frequently labeled with “Do not eat” because of the risk of choking. Silica gel is usually non-toxic, but it is a choking hazard, especially for small children. Silica gel packets can be found in a wide range of products, such as food, clothing, and electronics. These packets are often packaged with commercial products to prevent damage caused by moisture. Silica gel is a drying agent that often comes in the form of small, clear beads or clear rock crystals placed in small packets made of paper or cloth.

Silica beads