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Researchers are warning against cooking burgers on a grill, thanks to a new study that discovered a number of people were hospitalized after eating foods containing wire bristles.
According to ScienceDaily, there were 1,698 cases between 2002 and 2014 involving people who had to be admitted to the emergency room for injuries caused by wire bristles.
Most people use wire brushes to clean their grills, but the bristles can get left behind and stick to the grill.
The next time somebody uses the grill, those tough bristles may potentially end up inside their cooked food.
Swallowing these thick bristles can seriously damage a number of the body’s major organs, including the mouth, throat, tonsils, esophagus, head, and neck, according to the study.
“The issue is likely under reported and thus underappreciated. Because of the uncommon nature of wire bristle injuries, people may not be as mindful about the dangers and implications. Awareness among emergency department physicians, radiologists, and otolaryngologists is particularly important so that appropriate tests and examinations can be conducted,” study author Dr. CW David Chang said in a press release.
Just last year, a Connecticut woman had to undergo emergency surgery after she accidentally ingested a metal bristle during a Memorial Day barbecue.
As the New York Daily News reports, 52-year-old Cheryl Harrison didn’t even feel the metal bristle in her mouth when she bit into the burger.
Once she started experiencing stomach pain two days later, Harrison learned that the bristle had managed to get lodged into her lower intestine, where it punctured a hole in the organ.
While it’s unlikely that people will stop eating burgers over this, Dr. Chang does suggest examining metal grates and brushes before cooking on a grill from now on.
