Comments on: Of all the stupid ways to die...

Question: Of all the stupid ways to die...

ostranenie — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:58:53 -0800

I just accidentally ate part of a metallic-looking mayonnaise packet. Am I going to die?

I was in a hurry, it was in a sandwich, you know the rest. It was a corner torn off from the packet. Should I not worry at all? Should I go to the emergency room? Am I overreacting and will nothing at all happen?

I read about some kids eating magnets and the magnets sticking together and killing them. If an adult (myself, for example) eats a slight little piece of metal, is it going to tear up my insides?

By: parmanparman

parmanparman — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:00:16 -0800

No, it'll find its own way out of you.

By: thetenthstory

thetenthstory — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:02:08 -0800

I can remember eating a coin once as a kid and I was okay. (well at least I think I am). Was this the entire packet or just a part?

By: tastybrains

tastybrains — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:02:44 -0800

I once ate a small bit of tinfoil that wound up in my sandwich and I didn't die.

By: Aquaman

Aquaman — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:03:10 -0800

Yes.

Wait, no.

By: smallerdemon

smallerdemon — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:03:12 -0800

You just won't digest it and it will be harmlessly expelled via normal waste disposal procedures. :) I am assuming you didn't eat the ENTIRE packet, of course.

By: thetenthstory

thetenthstory — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:03:29 -0800

O. my b. It was a corner. You should be okay. But I am no doctor.

By: thetenthstory

thetenthstory — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:04:14 -0800

(triple - quadurple jix?)

By: bkeene12

bkeene12 — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:09:37 -0800

If you are very, very, very, very concerned you could do a scatological inventory. If you haven't accounted for it by the end of the week you might want to elevate the threat level posed by this missing metalic corner. Otherwise, I don't think the mayonaise people would package their food product in a material that poses any danger to your body.

By: Ookseer

Ookseer — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:18:59 -0800

If you become very concerned you can call a Poison Control center. They are trained with knowing what's toxic and what to do about it.

American Association of Poison Control Centers:
1-800-222-1222.

(I'd link the web site but there is singing on the home page... ugh.)

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:20:04 -0800

Assuming the small bit of packaging wasn't particularly sharp, you are probably in more danger from the mayonnaise than from the packaging.

By: IvyMike

IvyMike — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:33:10 -0800

One upon a time, Michel Lotito ate an airplane, piece by piece. I suspect that a tiny corner of metalic-looking food-grade plastic is probably gonna be just fine.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:43:12 -0800

My friend swallowed a Dr. Pepper soda can tab. She's fine, the thing vanished utterly, and she got a lot of free Dr. Pepper after inquiring with the company about what to do. Want some free mayo?

By: gnomeloaf

gnomeloaf — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:53:30 -0800

Yeah, yeah, you'll be fine. Now...what's this about eating magnets and having them stick together and kill you?

By: Kololo

Kololo — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:53:36 -0800

In a few days, unbeknownst to you, you will poo it out. The End!

(Kids are constantly chewing on little bits of tinfoil and stuff; it was a mortal danger I think it'd be slightly better publicized.)

If it was soft and small enough for you to not notice it while you were chewing, then it probably isn't big enough to gouge out your insides and make you die of internal bleeding. (That is what you're imagining, isn't it?) If it was a poisonous or toxic material, then it wouldn't be used to package food.

Relax!

By: jerseygirl

jerseygirl — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:02:47 -0800

I don't think the packets of mayo are actual metal anyway. Metallic looking plastic, maybe.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:16:38 -0800

I ate small rocks as a kid and never suffered any damage that I know of. Fear not.

*marks this thread down as excellent example of why "Best Answer" should not be used as a serious metric*

By: contraption

contraption — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:18:25 -0800

The magnets are a danger because if they're swallowed separately, they can pinch a bit of (for example) intestinal tissue when they do get close together in their journey. The pinched tissue doesn't get blood so it dies, causing gangrene (or necrotization or whatever they call it when you've got dead tissue inside you.)

I have no idea where I heard that, but it seems plausible.

By: pardonyou?

pardonyou? — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:19:32 -0800

One way to think about this is: Have you heard of a mass epidemic of illness and death caused by people swallowing condiment wrappers? Because it probably happens a few thousand times a day, and if you haven't heard of it, it's probably probably not a big deal.

Some logic goes for infants eating Play-Doh. You really don't need to investigate whether it's toxic -- kids have been eating Play-Doh for decades with no ill effects.

By: contraption

contraption — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:21:20 -0800

more about magnet swallowing

By: chairface

chairface — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:27:39 -0800

Yes. But not eating a corner of a mayo packet.

By: sour cream

sour cream — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:21:59 -0800

Am I going to die?

Yes.

Sooner or later, that is.

By: verevi

verevi — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:04:30 -0800

I would be more worried about the mayonnaise you ingested. Do you realize how much fat, cholesterol, and calories that crap has?

I would feel better about eating the wrapper!

By: Clyde Mnestra

Clyde Mnestra — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:00:39 -0800

Did a squirrel happen to get to it first?

By: PetiePal

PetiePal — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:37:18 -0800

No. It will come out the other side just fine. No worries!

By: jesirose

jesirose — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:37:07 -0800

My cat ate an entire packet of Chick-Fil-A's salad dressing. I mean the packet itself. He threw it up the next day. The whole fucking packet. He's fine. If that didn't hurt him, a freaking corner of a packet isn't going to hurt an adult.

But hey, don't swallow any gum, it takes 7 years to digest. And for goodness sake, don't swallow any watermelon seeds, or you'll grow a little watermelon baby!