Energizer’s new coin batteries won’t cause ingestion burns if swallowed
Energizer has announced a new line of lithium button batteries that it says are the first in the world to eliminate the risk of ingestion burns if swallowed. Its Ultimate Child Shield line includes three sizes available starting today – 2032, 2025 and 2016 – which are commonly used in devices such as remote controls, wearables and trackers such as Apple’s AirTags.
Most swallowed batteries pass through the body’s digestive system without causing harm. But if one gets stuck in the esophagus, there’s a chance it could be more than a choking hazard. When the battery comes into contact with saliva, it can generate an electrical current, leading to chemical reactions causing alkaline tissue burns that can lead to life-threatening injuries in just a few hours.
Today’s announcement doesn’t specify how Energizer’s new Ultimate Child Shield line prevents swallowed batteries from generating currents and the dangerous chemical reactions that result, but it works alongside a few other safety measures already available on other Energizer batteries. In addition to child-resistant packaging, button batteries are coated with a bitter (similar to that on Nintendo Switch cartridges) to deter ingestion, and a food-grade dye that turns the mouth blue when it comes into contact with saliva, indicating that a battery may have been swallowed.
Although it states that the risk of serious or life-threatening burns from ingestion has been eliminated, Energizer nevertheless recommends seeking immediate medical attention “in all cases of battery ingestion,” even if you only suspect that a child or pet (the dye also works with cats and dogs) has swallowed one.
