Woman Eats Unfamiliar Snack—Not Ready For Why She’s ‘Done For’

A woman who decided to try a mango-flavored jelly snack without looking into its ingredients said she was left in severe pain and convinced she might be “done for” after finishing the pouch.

Reddit user tartradish explained this week that she had picked up the jelly at a grocery store, assuming it was similar to agar.

After eating a large lunch of spicy ramen with vegetables, she decided to snack while watching YouTube. The original poster (OP) wrote that she, “finished the little pack of jelly more quickly than i would like to admit.”

‘Explode’

Roughly 45 minutes later, she felt a sharp pain when she inhaled and described her abdomen as becoming, “extremely rigid all of a sudden.”

The woman elaborated: “I could feel my guts in a way that I never have before and never want to again. It felt like my stomach was going to explode.”

Panicked, the OP called her mother, saying she thought, “it was the end for me.”

Her mom advised her to take antacids and reassured her she would be fine. Searching online, the OP discovered the snack contained konjac, a plant-based ingredient known for its high fiber content and ability to expand.

According to Healthline, konjac is a root vegetable used to make glucomannan, a soluble dietary fiber. The resource reports: “Konjac supplements may also expand in your esophagus or bowel and cause an obstruction.”

The site also states, “Glucomannan is generally well-tolerated. However, as with any high fiber product, it may cause digestive problems,” including, “bloating”, “abdominal pain” and “gas.”

‘Suffocate consumers’

Konjac jelly products have also drawn safety warnings in some regions. The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety notes that konjac jellies, “are harder than ordinary jellies and do not dissolve easily in the mouth.”

It adds: “Overseas reports have pointed out that konjac jellies, consumed improperly, could block the windpipe and even suffocate consumers.”

The center advises consumers to, “Avoid sucking the jellies,” and to, “Cut the jellies into small pieces before consumption.”