AS summer approaches, people are being urged to stop using grill brushes immediately as doctors warn it could lead to major medical issues.
Many grillers frequently rely on wire brushes to clean the grease buildup on their grills, but some medical professionals on TikTok are cautioning against the potential danger of wire bristles contaminating the food.
“Do not use a metal brush on your grill this summer!” warned Dr. Tania Elliott, a board-certified internal medicine specialist and allergist.
Elliott has more than 66,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares tips particularly related to food and allergies.
She warned that the bristles from metal grill brushes could perforate a person’s intestines, causing serious internal injuries.
“And in some cases, even death.”
Elliott added that the incident happens “way more often than you think.”
One such doctor, Dr. Tonia Farmer, an ENT surgeon known as @DrNoseBest with a sizable following of 413,000 on the platform, posted a video to raise awareness about the risks involved, highlighting that this scenario could lead to an emergency room visit.
“The bristles you see there, they will come out and they can get embedded and stuck on your grill,” said Farmer.
“Then, when you go to put a piece of meat, like a hamburger or some chicken on your grill, that wire bristle is so think, you can’t even see it.
“It’s gonna stick to the meat, you swallow it and it can get stuck and embedded in the back of your throat.”
Farmer warned that the damage could be very serious, saying that she’s seen it happen in person.
“I’ve had to take patients to the operating room to remove these wire bristles from their throat,” said Farmer.
A study published in the American College of Surgeons also found that metal filaments from grill cleaning brushes can become lodged in food.
This results in “unintentional ingestion and potentially bowel perforation.”
An early diagnosis is crucial for timely treatment and surgery is usually required in these cases.
“A laparoscopic approach is feasible, but an open approach may sometimes be necessary,” read the study.
“Measures to ensure product safety should be undertaken to prevent future cases.”
SAFER WAYS TO CLEAN
Farmer and Elliott suggested alternatives to cleaning a grill instead of using the wire brushes.
Farmer suggested using half a lemon or half an onion to clean a grill.
“Or even a balled up piece of aluminum foil,” she said.
Eliott also suggested using an onion or even a potato for cleaning.
“Just cut it in half when the grill is just starting to heat up,” she said.
“And you rub it on and it takes care of your mess.
Both videos had several comments, with some people sharing that they’ve heard similar stories of people being injured from the wire bristles.
“They should just stop selling those,” wrote one person. “I’ve heard that happening before.”
Another person wrote: “Had a pediatric patient that had a bristle stuck on her intestine.”
