Silica Gel desiccant

Silica gel is a desiccant. As we know, all these desiccants are used to absorb excess moisture from the surroundings. It is one of the most commonly used products to avoid moisture damage. We can see small packets of silica gel in our daily life along with some of our daily use items such as laptop bags, some kind of medicines, ...etc.

Based on the types of applications, desiccants are available in different types. For example, to avoid container rain and cargo damages during transportation, container desiccants are available. To avoid moisture from dried food products to keep the items fresh, food protection desiccants are available. Similarly, various types of desiccants are available in the market.

We can see the writings "Do not eat" on every packet of desiccants or silica gel. Do you think is there any problem when you have it? We know that desiccants are non-toxic, inactive, and odorless. Then why it is mentioning like that with high importance. Because whatever it is, the consumption of silica gel is not good.

Unless we eat dozens of silica gel packets, nothing important. Silica gel usually comes in those little packets that are marked ‘Do Not Eat’ to remind people as it is not intended to eat. They are normally with products that would not benefit from having excess moisture in them. The silica gel itself absorbs about 40 percent of its weight in moisture and brings down the humidity of the surrounding container as well.

So, how dangerous is it really? Silica gel is nearly harmless, as it is an inert element, meaning we could find it in food products such as dried fruits and nuts, coffee beans, or along with some kind of medicines and some medical products such as pregnancy test kit, ...etc.  If you tried to eat one packet of silica gel, here’s what would happen.

As soon as you empty the packet into your mouth, all the moisture would be sucked away from the sides of your mouth and your tongue, giving you a very dry feeling. Assuming you didn’t immediately spit out the silica gel, you’d suffer from a myriad of symptoms, such as dry eyes, throat, membranes, and an upset stomach.