We love a cooking hack as much as the next person, but this tip for removing excess fat from your frying pan just feels a little wrong.
TikToker Victoria, who is known for her cleaning, recipe and home hack videos, sparked a rather heated debate after she revealed how she soaks up the excess fat from her meat when she’s cooking.
In a 10 second video Victoria unpackages and places two new tampons in her frying pan while she cooks, allowing them to sit there and soak up all the liquid.
She even seasons and stirs her meal while the tampons are still in the pan.
Her controversial cooking technique has now been viewed over 3.4million times, leaving many TikTok users flabbergasted.
Many were mortified at the thought of the possible chemicals in the tampons leaking out into the food, while others suggested there were much cheaper and more ‘normal’ ways to get rid of excess fat in the pan.
One user wrote: ‘But the chemicals in the tampon cotton,’ while another agreed questioning: ‘Aren’t there carcinogens and glyphosate in those?’
Another outraged TikToker wrote: ‘Just drain it in a strainer, god lord is it that hard?’
Others suggested, paper towels, toilet roll or buying leaner beef that has less fat.
Some saw the funnier side to it, with one writing: ‘I will always avoid eating at people’s homes.’
One TikToker who stitched the video jokingly said: ‘We’re not going to sit here and pretend those tampons are seared to perfection. It’s the most edible thing on this plate.
‘That looks like halibut. If I looked at this photo for a second I would be like “yeah I’d totally eat those instead”.
‘They’re the perfect hors d’oeuvre, just pick it up by the string.’
Obviously, do not under any circumstances eat a tampon, and here’s why you probably shouldn’t cook with one either.
According to a journal in the US National Library of Medicine, tampons are a potential source of chemical exposure.
It particularly highlighted elevated levels of mercury for tampon users but according to the UK Health Security Agency ‘swallowing small amounts of elemental mercury is unlikely to cause adverse health effects’. However, if large amounts are swallowed, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain can occur.
Most tampons are made of cotton or cotton blends, although some tampons are made solely of rayon.
According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics these products may contain traces of dioxin from bleach, pesticide residues from conventional, non-organic cotton, and mystery ‘fragrance’ ingredients.
Personally, we don’t think we really want any of those swimming about in our evening meal.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : Mum finds £7.99 solution to baby’s severe eczema that made her ‘claw’ at her skin until she bled
MORE : From purrs to chirps, this is what your cat is trying to tell you with different sounds
MORE : How I Do It: ‘Some guys are too insecure to date a cam girl – that’s their problem’
Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox
