Buzz
While spotting a hair in your food might ruin your appetite, consuming it is unlikely to harm you. In reality, it probably won’t impact your health in any way.
As Popular Science clarifies, hair is primarily made of keratin, a harmless protein when ingested. Although Staphylococcus aureus bacteria could potentially cling to the hair, the amount is usually insufficient to cause stomach issues. If the hair ended up in your dish before it was cooked at high heat, the risk of illness decreases further. “Swallowing a strand or two … is unlikely to cause problems and will simply pass through your system,” Adam Friedman, a dermatology professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, explained to VICE.
Choking on a hair or having it irritate your mouth’s lining is possible, though neither is a frequent concern. However, if you have a tendency to eat hair, that’s a separate issue. Trichophagia, a psychological condition where individuals compulsively consume their hair, can lead to hairballs known as trichobezoars forming in their stomachs. While this is rare, it’s certainly not a consequence of a single hair found in your food.
The FDA doesn’t consider occasional hair ingestion harmful. For instance, up to 11 rodent hairs per 25 grams of ground paprika or cinnamon are permitted, and many other foods may also contain rodent hairs. Human hair, however, isn’t addressed in the FDA’s Food Defect Levels Handbook. It is mentioned in the FDA Food Code, which advises food workers to use “hair restraints like hats, nets, beard covers, and clothing to conceal body hair.” Not all health departments strictly enforce this guideline.
While a stray hair on your plate isn’t a major health hazard, it might signal broader issues. “Hair can suggest poor sanitation at the food preparation facility,” USDA food safety expert Archie Magoulas told VICE. At the very least, you deserve a complimentary meal for the inconvenience.
