Of the many, many things we're not supposed to snack on, perhaps the most common forbidden food is silica gel.
This tiny packet pops up in packaging for everything from TVs and guitar cases to sunscreen and snack foods.
So why is silica gel everywhere?
And what would actually happen if you ate it?
Found in the Earth's crust, silica, also called silicon dioxide, is typically mined as raw silica sand, which is then washed, dried, sifted, and chemically treated.
Once manufacturers ensure each grain is uniform, the processed sand gets mixed with sodium carbonate, then heated and combined with an acid that links the silica particles into a jelly-like matrix.
This matrix gives the material its porous structure, which stays stable after being washed and dried into hard, glassy beads.
The final product is chemically identical to the sand you might find on a beach.
The only difference is that porous structure.
Inside each silica gel bead is a massive microscopic network of tunnels.
