Bill attempting to have Tide Pods look less edible

U.S. (GA) — The Tide Pod challenge has settled down some after claiming the lives of two Georgia teens.However, now the dangers of the single-use laundry detergent pods have reached lawmakers.

On Thursday, New York assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and state Sen. Brad Hoylman proposed a bill calling for manufacturers to make the laundry pods look less edible.

The pair announced the news at a press conference earlier today, with Hoylman noting, “We’re asking for all laundry detergent pods to be uniform in color. We don’t need them to look like Gummy Bears in order for consumers to use them.” They are also requesting that the pods should be made harder to bite through as well as packed in individual plastic wrappers with warnings on them.

The two also sent a letter to Tide owner Procter & Gamble, requesting that “You and other manufacturers must use a stronger bittering agent to prevent ingestion of pods, reduce their pleasant smell, and make them feel more firm,” in order to make the pods less attractive to small children and the elderly, along with the growing number of teens intentionally trying to eat them.

The company has already responded to the demands, commenting that “color does not play a critical role in a child’s accidental exposure to laundry pacs,” and that individually packing the pods in plastic wrappers wouldn’t solve the problem. The company also noted that it already offers Tide Pods in uncolored versions as well as traditional liquid and powdered forms.