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Teens Compete in ‘Tide Pod Challenge’ by Eating Laundry Detergent

If you’ve ever done laundry, you’ve probably seen those brightly colored orange and blue Tide […]

If you’ve ever done laundry, you’ve probably seen those brightly colored orange and blue Tide detergent pods. And without knowing what they are, it’s pretty easy to mistake the pods as some kind of food.

Social media thought the same thing, and as a result memes have been popping up all over the internet of people eating the pods or using them as toppings on things like pizza.

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The YouTube channel College Humor even went so far as to parody social media’s fascination with the pods by having one of their cast members debate over eating one.

But there’s just one problem: those pods are poisonous and incredibly dangerous to the human body if consumed. But that hasn’t stopped the “Tide Pod Challenge,” from becoming a meme, where people actually dare to eat one of the pods.

Tide even went so far as to put out a statement regarding the pods.

“Our laundry pacs are a highly concentrated detergent meant to clean clothes, and they’re used safely in millions of households every day,” the statement read. “They should be only used to clean clothes and kept up, closed and away from children.

“We have seen no indication of an increase of cases seeking medical treatment amongst infants and teenagers associated with the recent uptick in social media conversation or in consumer calls.”

However, if you are so tempted by the colorful pods, there is an alternative that’s less hazardous. Tumblr user sometimessmarmy” posted a recipe that makes treats resembling the pods that are made mostly of gelatin rather than detergent.