"Each year in the US alone, some 3,500 button cells are swallowed, mostly by children. I've encountered one such injury myself, and seen a number of examples in first aid training materials, and it is no joke. Making button cells safer requires two things: preventing accidental ingestion and being able to spot if a button cell has been ingested. For a few years now, several button cell manufacturers have been coating their batteries in Bitrex, a harmless chemical compound that's the most bitter substance known."
"A thimbleful in an Olympic-sized swimming pool can make all the water bitter. Also: The best rechargeable batteries you can buy This substance is added to a wide array of products to prevent ingestion, from bleach and antifreeze to Nintendo game cards. And let me tell you, this stuff is awful (if you don't believe me, you can actually request a free taste test kit from the maker)."
Lithium button cell batteries are common in many devices and can cause severe esophageal or airway injury within two hours if swallowed, sometimes leading to death. Approximately 3,500 button cells are swallowed annually in the US, mostly by children. Manufacturers apply the bittering agent Bitrex to discourage ingestion and use hard-to-open packaging to limit access. Energizer's Color Alert line adds a visible dye patch to batteries so they become easier to detect after contact with saliva. These measures aim to prevent accidental ingestion and improve detection when ingestion occurs.
Read at ZDNET
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