Packing peanuts arent food but people are eating them and the bizarre trend worries experts

This trend is nuts.People are eating biodegradable packing peanuts under the assumption that they are edible — much to experts’ dismay.On TikTok, online shoppers claim that the biodegradable packing peanuts make for the perfect “bedtime snack,” arguing that the foam pieces are completely edible because they dissolve in their mouths.“Did anyone know that Lush packing peanuts are edible??” wrote one beauty lover on a TikTok video, which showed her popping one into her mouth.The personal care brand packs its shipping boxes with “eco-flo chips,” an alternative to typical foam peanuts that are instead made with a potato starch base to make them dissolve in water and soil.“Biodegradable doesn’t mean edible,” warned one viewer.“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!” chided another.“Girl, those packing peanuts have probably been on the ground & touched by idk how many people.Pls don’t die,” cautioned someone else.While some TikTok users said they finally don’t feel like “a weirdo” for their strange snack, experts warned that the sustainable packing peanuts probably shouldn’t be consumed — not to mention that some biodegradable packing peanuts aren’t made from edible ingredients.Best case scenario, eating the eco-friendly shipping materials could cause bloating, pain and gas.

At worst, the process in which the potato starch peanuts are created forms a known carcinogen, or a compound linked to cancer.ThriveLab nurse practitioner Angelica McGough told Delish that the excessive heat used to make packing peanuts causes the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen with ties to endometrial and ovarian cancer.“Many vegetable oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which, when consumed excessively, contribute to an imbalance that promotes chronic inflammation,” she said.“Inhaling cooking fumes and consuming heated oils has been linked to lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.”...