Danger in an Instant Soup Cup
Instant soups, especially those prepackaged in foam cups, turn out to be one of the leading causes of burns in kids because of the containers' lightweight foam and top-heavy design. They also could be easily fixed.
Danger in an Instant Soup Cup
Michael Yudell, Associate Professor, Drexel University School of Public Health
A recent report from National Public Radio freelance reporter Mara Zepeda (formerly of WHYY in Philadelphia) draws attention to a very serious, yet little known public health hazard—instant soup spills causing severe burns in young children.
According to several academic papers (here and here), hot soups, especially those prepackaged in foam cups, are one of the leading causes of burns in kids. The reason: the lightweight foam and top-heavy design of the cups are unstable and can easily tip over. Injuries occur when younger children pull the cups onto themselves. According to another study, because “the cooling curve of noodle soup is much slower, noodle soup may present a greater danger to children than other types of soup.” The noodles, sticky and hot, adhere to a victim’s skin leading to more severe burns.
In her report, Zepeda said she called a dozen burn units around the United States, and found that eight of them see soup injuries several times a week.
Scald burns among kids are twice as common as other types of burns in this country. In one study, soup scald burns accounted for 8% of total inpatient burn admissions and “tend to involve important functional areas, such as the hand and face.” This study also found that “injuries tend to occur in low-income and low-educational level households with multiple children when the soup is heated in tall, narrow containers.” This statistic shouldn’t be a surprise—in these hard economic times, instant soups are cheap and convenient, and an easy option for a busy family.
But there is an apparently easy solution: a simple redesign of the packaging of the top-heavy instant soup cups could reduce these accidents significantly. By changing the cup design, from narrow and tall to wide and flat, the companies could easily help decrease the incidence of “tip-over” burns. There already are cups on the market that are wider and flatter, and have a much higher tipping angle (see figure above). This design, combined with an educational program highlighting the hazards of soups burns, could help redress the social and structural components of soup burns in young kids.
As part of her story, NPR reporter Zepeda reached out to the manufacturers of some of the “tippiest” cups of soups from the academic studies. Sadly, she reports that “every company declined to comment or failed to get back” to her. But her story might have prompted legal action—a law firm is currently investigating the soup cups’ dangerous design.
If you share these concerns, or if you know a child who was injured and want to see the “tippiest cups” resdesigned, please post a comment to this blog or send an email to thepublicshealth@philly.com. Once we’ve compiled a list of your concerns, we can send them to the offending companies.
Read more about The Public's Health.
Danger in an Instant Soup Cup
A recent report from National Public Radio freelance reporter Mara Zepeda (formerly of WHYY in Philadelphia) draws attention to a very serious, yet little known public health hazard—instant soup spills causing severe burns in young children.
According to several academic papers (here and here), hot soups, especially those prepackaged in foam cups, are one of the leading causes of burns in kids. The reason: the lightweight foam and top-heavy design of the cups are unstable and can easily tip over. Injuries occur when younger children pull the cups onto themselves. According to another study, because “the cooling curve of noodle soup is much slower, noodle soup may present a greater danger to children than other types of soup.” The noodles, sticky and hot, adhere to a victim’s skin leading to more severe burns.
In her report, Zepeda said she called a dozen burn units around the United States, and found that eight of them see soup injuries several times a week.
Scald burns among kids are twice as common as other types of burns in this country. In one study, soup scald burns accounted for 8% of total inpatient burn admissions and “tend to involve important functional areas, such as the hand and face.” This study also found that “injuries tend to occur in low-income and low-educational level households with multiple children when the soup is heated in tall, narrow containers.” This statistic shouldn’t be a surprise—in these hard economic times, instant soups are cheap and convenient, and an easy option for a busy family.
But there is an apparently easy solution: a simple redesign of the
Danger in an Instant Soup Cup
A recent report from National Public Radio freelance reporter Mara Zepeda (formerly of WHYY in Philadelphia) draws attention to a very serious, yet little known public health hazard—instant soup spills causing severe burns in young children.
According to several academic papers (here and here), hot soups, especially those prepackaged in foam cups, are one of the leading causes of burns in kids. The reason: the lightweight foam and top-heavy design of the cups are unstable and can easily tip over. Injuries occur when younger children pull the cups onto themselves. According to another study, because “the cooling curve of noodle soup is much slower, noodle soup may present a greater danger to children than other types of soup.” The noodles, sticky and hot, adhere to a victim’s skin leading to more severe burns.
In her report, Zepeda said she called a dozen burn units around the United States, and found that eight of them see soup injuries several times a week.
Scald burns among kids are twice as common as other types of burns in this country. In one study, soup scald burns accounted for 8% of total inpatient burn admissions and “tend to involve important functional areas, such as the hand and face.” This study also found that “injuries tend to occur in low-income and low-educational level households with multiple children when the soup is heated in tall, narrow containers.” This statistic shouldn’t be a surprise—in these hard economic times, instant soups are cheap and convenient, and an easy option for a busy family.
But there is an apparently easy solution: a simple redesign of the packaging of the top-heavy instant soup cups could reduce these accidents significantly. By changing the cup design, from narrow and tall to wide and flat, the companies could easily help decrease the incidence of “tip-over” burns. There already are cups on the market that are wider and flatter, and have a much higher tipping angle (see figure below). This design, combined with an educational program highlighting the hazards of soups burns, could help redress the social and structural components of soup burns in young kids.
packaging of the top-heavy instant soup cups could reduce these accidents significantly. By changing the cup design, from narrow and tall to wide and flat, the companies could easily help decrease the incidence of “tip-over” burns. There already are cups on the market that are wider and flatter, and have a much higher tipping angle (see figure below). This design, combined with an educational program highlighting the hazards of soups burns, could help redress the social and structural components of soup burns in young kids.
Wow, this is an important story for parents to read. Those cups of noodles are everywhere. I would love to see them not given to children at all, because they are high-calorie and high-sodium junk food. But given how inexpensive they are, it's important to make them safer for the children who are given them to eat. A parent could also make the soup in a soup bowl -- I don't want to think what kind of chemical "soup" is given off from the styrofoam when the boiling water is added to the noodles or the soup is heated in a microwave.— Jen D- So what’s the solution? Greenhalgh and others believe that manufacturers need to redesign the cups for greater consumer safety. But in the meantime, the
San Francisco Chronicle suggests that if you’re preparing instant soup for your child, don’t let him eat it out of the cup — instead, transfer it to a more stable bowl that can’t easily be tipped over. Also, be sure to test the soup to make sure it’s at a safe temperature before you give it to the child. And never leave a cup of hot soup near the edge of a counter or table where it can be reached by eager little hands.
sciatic nerve pain (HTML deleted)— lisa35
