It turns out that Duracell has been trying to reduce button battery ingestions for a few years (in 2020) by coating the sides of the batteries with a bitter tasting no-toxic chemical. I only recently found out about this. “Duracell uses Bitrex, a non-toxic, man-made substance that’s considered the world’s most bitter, to create the coating. The coating is harmless if consumed, but it’s designed to encourage children to spit out the battery immediately.” (Anecdotally, one of our endoscopy nurses said she tried the battery and she did not think it was very bitter.) The packaging is also very difficult to open without scissors.

Advice from their website: “If your child swallows a battery, go to the emergency room.
If you have other questions or concerns, call 1-800-498-8666 or visit www.batteryingestionhotline.com.”

Related blog posts:

• Mitigation Efforts for Button Batteries
• New Button Battery Guidelines -with honey and vinegar
• Button battery -Update For Families Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hope & Will blog: Common Batteries Pose Danger For Kids
• Do Button Battery Guidelines Need to be Updated?
• Foreign Bodies in Children -Expert Guidance Even with “spent” batteries, there is enough residual charge to cause injury and all ingestions (even if asymptomatic) into the esophagus require emergent removal. If these batteries are in the stomach & asymptomatic, urgent removal is recommended if age < 5 years and BB ≥20 mm.
• Cheap Technology for Button Battery Ingestions
• Case report: Spondylodiscitis After Button Battery Ingestion