What occurs if you ingest a silica gel packet? - Vivian Jiang episode artwork

EPISODE · May 14, 2026 · 7 MIN

What occurs if you ingest a silica gel packet? - Vivian Jiang

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Explore the science of silica gel, and find out why these packets are everywhere and if they're actually dangerous to ingest.--Of the many, many things we’re not supposed to snack on, perhaps the most common forbidden food is silica gel. This tiny packet pops up in packaging for everything — from TVs and guitar cases to sunscreen and snack foods. So why is silica gel everywhere, and what would actually happen if you ate it? Vivian Jiang digs into the science of this pervasive product.Lesson by Vivian Jiang, directed by Denys Spolitak.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happens-if-you-eat-a-silica-gel-packet-vivian-jiangDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happens-if-you-eat-a-silica-gel-packet-vivian-jiang/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://vimeo.com/denysspolitakMusic: https://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, and Javid Gozalov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the science of silica gel, and find out why these packets are everywhere and if they're actually dangerous to ingest.--Of the many, many things we’re not supposed to snack on, perhaps the most common forbidden food is silica gel. This tiny packet pops up in packaging for everything — from TVs and guitar cases to sunscreen and snack foods. So why is silica gel everywhere, and what would actually happen if you ate it? Vivian Jiang digs into the science of this pervasive product.Lesson by Vivian Jiang, directed by Denys Spolitak.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happens-if-you-eat-a-silica-gel-packet-vivian-jiangDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-happens-if-you-eat-a-silica-gel-packet-vivian-jiang/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://vimeo.com/denysspolitakMusic: https://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, and Javid Gozalov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What occurs if you ingest a silica gel packet? - Vivian Jiang

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This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

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Explore the science of silica gel, and find out why these packets are everywhere and if they're actually dangerous to ingest.--Of the many, many things we’re not supposed to snack on, perhaps the most common forbidden food is silica gel. This tiny...

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