Fatal Devil's Tongue Jelly

In September 2008, a 1-year-old Japanese boy swallowed a devil's tongue jelly and choked to death. Glucomannan, the Latin name for devil's tongue, can also be called elephant yam, voodoo lily, konjac mannan, konjaku, snake palm, and konjac. Japan for Glucomannan is konnyaku.








This is the 17th death from devil's tongue since 1995, starting the frequently seen pattern of evasion, avoidance, denial, or protest followed by surrender. We usually check out this pattern with politicians caught in the act or who spoke without thinking. Minister Nariaki Nakayama recently provided another example while he spoke with reporters in September 2008, praoclaiming that Japanese everyone was "ethnically homogenous" and "definitely... do not like or desire foreigners." He resigned soon after.

Following the Japanese boy choked to death, the pattern continued. The Japanese government announced the 17 fatalities, primarily that relating to ab muscles young as well as the old, met with MannanLife, and requested something recall. MannanLife is among the largest companies producing the jelly. The organization said they'd enhance the warnings, which said that the product just isn't suitable for ab muscles young as well as the old. Slightly over a week later MannanLife stopped production and shipment.

Devil's tongue jelly, known as konjac candy and konjac fruit jelly, has additionally caused fatalities in North America and Europe, causing so that it is banned. Konjac jelly, unlike other jellies, does not easily melt in the mouth. Chewing is necessary to break the jelly down, making bite sized products dangerous when swallowed whole. Ever since then, some devil's tongue jelly products on the market happen to be increased in dimensions. They could not be swallowed successfully and also have appropriate warning labels.

Konnyaku can be a traditional Japanese food that presents no danger generally in most of its forms, including the grayish large blocks present in oden and also the grayish noodles found in oden, sukiyaki, and gyudon (beef bowl). Konnyaku is primarily water and glucomannan, which can be fiber, containing hardly any calories, making it popular with both people thinking about health and in dieting.

Konnyaku arises from the konjac plant which grows in Japan, Korea, and China. Sometimes known as potato, yam, or tuber, konjac actually grows in corms. A corm is only a short thick solid stem underground that stores food. Vegans also use konjac as an alternative for gelatin.

Devil's tongue isn't the only fatal food in Japan. Based on data from your health ministry, 4407 people died from choking on food in Japan in 2006. Devil's tongue wasn't even one of many top four. Mochi, which is pounded rice, was primary, and was followed by rice, bread and rice porridge. Approximately 85% with the fatalities were older persons. Even though the media schoko adventskalender rarely present rice, bread and rice porridge as life-threatening foods, the media does present mochi deaths, especially at New Year's, when lots of the mochi deaths occur.

Unlike devil's tongue jelly, no steps happen to be taken to stop mochi consumption. Americans, Europeans, and Japanese all expect their governments to safeguard them against devil's tongue jelly, and also the governments acted. In the end, 17 folks have died since 1995. In that same period, fatalities from eating mochi have numbered in a minimum of the hundreds in Japan alone.

The government has not yet acted to guard Japanese nationals, residents from abroad, and visitors. Devil's tongue jelly doesn't need the same support as mochi; items that cause heart disease and cancer; unsafe drivers and vehicles that induce traffic accidents; along with other dangers we face daily. Expect protection where we now have little demand for it. In other locations, we ought to not expect protection even as will not receive it.