Albany proposal would ban use of metal wire grill brushes over safety concerns

ALBANY — Two years ago, a 4-year-old boy in Florida was eating a hamburger hot off the grill when he was jabbed by a sharp pain in his ear that confounded doctors for 10 days.

The surprising source of the pain in cases like that nationwide have helped lead to a proposed ban in New York State on metal wire brushes widely used to clean grills because loosened bristles can break into food, creating injuries that sometimes require surgery.

The legislative proposal would ban "the manufacture, sale and use of wire bristle grill brushes ... to help people further enjoy the grilling experience without the risk of wire brush injury." 

One of the earliest warnings about the danger came in a viral TikTok following the frustration of emergency room physicians and nurses as they tried for days to find the cause of boy's excruciating pain in Florida back in 2023.

Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, and her colleagues examined 400 slides from a CT scan and found what lower-intensity imaging did not: A hidden metal sliver less than an inch long lodged in the boy’s throat. By that time, the bristle was inflaming an abscess and spiking a fever.

"It was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we have the reason!’" recalled Martin in an interview with Newsday.

The experience prompted her to post a warning on TikTok that has drawn more than 43 million views. Other cases found the wire bristles have obstructed and perforated bowels and required surgery.

"None of the earlier imaging showed it, so we did a CT scan, " Martin told Newsday. "The last frame showed it as one tiny white dot."

While her TikTok warning spawned more social media videos and medical groups are warning doctors and patients of the danger, it appears New York’s bill, if approved, would be the first law to address the concern.

"I would absolutely love that," Martin said.

The measure was introduced in the State Senate by Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) on May 15, matching the Assembly bill that was introduced by Assemb. Chantel Jackson (D-Bronx) in February. Comrie and Jackson didn't return calls left with their offices seeking comment.

The legislative session is scheduled to end June 17.

The bill notes the issue is a serious concern for health groups, including the American Medical Association.

The AMA said in 2018 that ingestion of the metal bristles are the cause of 130 emergency room visits a year, although researchers say the number of incidents is likely far higher because people also go to their family doctors or the pain goes unaddressed.

The AMA called for the federal government to issue a warning labels.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012 warned that some cases required emergency surgery and advised physicians of the "critical" need to be aware of the danger.

Requests for comment to two large retailers of the brushes weren’t returned.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning on its website: "Clean your grill with a ball of aluminum foil or nylon brushes, instead of wire grill brushes, to prevent stray wire brush strands from ending up in the food."

The AMA also recommends people wipe their grill and inspect it for wire bristles before cooking.

There are several products on the market to clean grills that don’t use metal-bristled brushes.

Martin said her warning continues to draw frequent hits. "I’ve seen a lot of social media attention in the summer time and I think there is an awareness that is growing," she said.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.