Why Feed Corn Filling Is Better
There are similar heating pad products with natural grain fillings, or man-made materials available. We choose to use only ultra-clean feed corn for the HUGGLE, and with good reason. Feed corn is a larger grain than rice, wheat, or flax, so it holds heat longer, and easily contours around parts of the body. Feed corn naturally cracks open at the bottom where it comes loose from the cob and will not pop when heated. There's also no risk of food poisoning for you, your children, or your family pets as there can be with uncooked rice or cherry pits.
Our feed corn filling carries all the same benefits as other grains and natural fillings, but without the risks.
Here are just a few reasons why we choose natural feed corn for the Award-Winning microwaveable HUGGLE:
- It is safe to be heated and reheated over and over again, without a long waiting period between reheating.
- Will not scorch in the microwave when instructions are followed, or dry out (a leading cause of fire or explosion).
- Stays warm longer than alternative, smaller grains such as rice or buckwheat.
- Raw rice can contain spores of a type of bacteria which are resistant to heat (Bacillus Cereus). When the rice is heated, the spores can survive, and if the rice is left at a nice balmy temperature for an hour or two, they germinate into bacteria which multiply and excrete toxins that cannot be destroyed through reheating.
- Will not rot or become rancid when instructions are followed, as lavender or other aromatic oils will.
- If chewed by pets or children, there is no risk of poisoning, unlike cherry pits or uncooked rice.
- No risk of staining fabric as with oily flax seed or heating pads with aromatherapy oils added.
Man-made materials also pose risks and concerns that aren't associated with the natural feed corn and easy-to-use
microwaveable bags of the HUGGLE. Some thermal pads use sodium acetate - activated by squeezing a metal
disk - which can leak, and must be boiled between uses to restore them to their inactive state. Electric heating pads
must be kept near electrical outlets, and can pose burn and fire hazards. Hydrocolloid hot packs must be immersed
in a hot water bath that ranges from 150-180 degrees, and have 6 to 8 layers of padding just to prevent burns!
What's more, they only remain warm for 30 minutes. Essential oils and dried botanicals, used for aromatherapy,
are at risk of fire. They can also stain, and they tend to lose their scents quickly.
We've checked with the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration.
There are no warnings against using microwave feed corn bags, and no product recalls. The same cannot be said of other
natural fillings, or man-made materials.
Here are some links to reports on other heating pad products that have been recalled due to hazards:
Telebrands Recalls Scarves with Microwaveable Heat Packs Due to Fire and Burn Hazards March 2010