‘Tide Pod’-inspired doughnuts being baked amid internet craze

close

Video

Tide Pod challenge: What is it?

Manufacturers have been concerned about toddlers mistakenly ingesting Tide detergent pods, but now teens are eating them as part of a YouTube challenge. Here’s a look at the trending challenge and why it’s so dangerous.

A bakery in North Carolina says they’re trying to educate America’s youth on what’s okay – and not okay – to eat by making a doughnut that looks nearly-identical to a Tide laundry detergent pod.

Wake N Bake Donuts in Carolina Beach, N.C., shared an Instagram photo of the treat earlier this week, which bears a striking resemblance to the single-load detergent packs that have become the subject of a popular, and very dangerous, internet trend.

The bakery’s Instagram post, which accompanies a picture of the doughnut, says the idea was spawned by one of their “Millennial employees” to help people figure out what’s actually okay to eat.

“One of our Millennial employees (Caitlin) decided to take a moment to teach they youth the difference between what to eat and what not to eat,” the post said. “This is a Donut....you can eat this! Tide is for laundry silly.”

The recent internet trend, known as the “Tide Pod Challenge,” has people sharing videos of themselves eating the pods, which are not meant for human consumption and dangerous to eat.

YOUTUBE BANS TIDE POD CHALLENGE VIDEOS

Wake N Bake’s owner, Danny Tangredi told WECT-TV that he “didn’t think we would make a Tide pod donut. But I also didn’t think people would eat Tide pods.”

The creation has gained mixed reviews on the business’s social media page.

Some users loved the concept: “I love this!!!! EPIC! Thanks for this!!!!!!!,” one wrote. Another said, “that is a Tide Pod that I would eat.”

But others weren’t so keen on the idea, noting the dangers of the real challenge.

“this is the stupidest thing they could bake…something that an image that’s killing people!!!,” one person wrote.

MISSOURI DOUGHNUT SHOP’S ‘TIDE POD CHALLENGE’ TREAT GOES VIRAL

Another doughnut shop, Missouri-based Hurts Donut, had the same idea, telling customers on Facebook that they hoped to “clear up any confusion” about the difference between the two.

“I thought this might clear up any confusion there might have been but now adults are throwing donuts in the washer,” the post said with a split photo of the laundry pods marked “NO” and the sweet treat marked “YES.”

The American Association of Poison Control Centers warned of a spike in teenagers eating the laundry product, which it says can cause seizures, respiratory arrest and even death. Poison control centers said that they handled 39 cases of intentional misuse among 13 to 19 year olds in the first 15 days of the year, compared to about 50 for all of last year.

The maker of Tide Pods, Procter & Gamble, said it's working with social media companies to remove videos of people biting into the detergent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.