Edible Metal Straws for Iron Supplementation Now on Sale

After paper straws comes the 'edible metal straw.' The manufacturer boasts it's both iron-replenishing and eco-friendly, but buyers flood reviews with 'metal taste overpowers coffee' and 'nutrition minus due to tooth loss.'

2025-07-02

Translations: JA

Daily Surprise

Paper, bamboo, pasta—the next frontier is “edible metal.” Startup MouthCraver Inc. (Taito, Tokyo) launched “IronBite,” an edible straw made of 99% pure iron, on the 8th. The pitch: sip your beverage, quench your thirst, then “crunch” it down to get your iron intake. While the company claims zero environmental impact, they apparently didn’t anticipate the dental impact, as their complaint hotline has been swamped since day one.

According to the company, one straw “covers almost all” of the 10.5 milligrams of iron recommended daily for adults. The exterior features a dissolution-resistant edible resin coating that peels off like thin skin when beverage temperature exceeds 45°C, activating the inner iron’s “snack mode.” Retail price: 398 yen per straw. Touting “the fusion of SDGs’ S and Fe (iron),” they aim to capture both the eco-conscious and the anemic in one swoop.

However, 30% of the initial 20,000-unit batch sparked SNS reports of “coffee tasting not like ‘iron oolong’ but ‘rust’” and “toolbox aroma from café latte,” with #MetalTasteChallenge trending instantly. The Dental Clinic Association issued an emergency statement: “If bite-crushing competition videos go viral, the nation’s teeth will collapse first.” A Tokyo dentist chuckled, “First patient rush in six months. In a way, it’s economic stimulus.”

MouthCraver CEO Kotaro Ariga commented, “We’re providing ‘crunchable hardware.’ Those with weak teeth should break it into small pieces and mix into smoothies.” He added proudly, “The moment you swallow the straw, you also swallow the social issue of iron deficiency.” Behind him, the PR rep offered a plastic stirrer, raising doubts about management’s understanding.

Nutrition experts are skeptical. Associate Professor Akari Kaizuka of Toto Nutrition University dismissed it bluntly: “Just eat spinach.” However, she noted, “In an era where chewing sounds go viral, biting iron might be accepted as an ‘auditory supplement.’” An economic analyst quipped about “a high-cost circulation model where single use leads to dental treatment.”

Environmental debate is heated too. If straws are discarded unchewed, they become non-burnable waste with zero recycling rate. “Chew to save Earth, discard to doom metal resources”—sustainability dependent on users’ jaw strength. The Tokyo Environmental Bureau admits bewilderment: “We don’t have statistics on citizens’ jaw power.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced consideration of a “hard but food” category under food hygiene law on the 8th evening. An insider revealed, “We hear edible smartphones are coming next year. Legislation is as urgently needed as chewing.” Tooth mold samples from test users nationwide are expected for standard formulation.

Yet reservations are flooding in. The simple reason: “Perfect conversation starter.” The product site features testimonials like “Barista at Starbucks did a double-take” and “Snapped it during a meeting to silence colleagues.” Whether to bite the straw or bite at society—the metallic taste seems stronger than trendy flavors these days.

Stakeholder Comments

CEO Kotaro Ariga: “I believe it’s a product befitting Japan, the nation of gears”
Dental Reception Robot: “Next patient, someone who lost to a straw?”
Environmental Activist: “Divine product if you attach a chewing certificate”
Broken Front Tooth: “There’s a shining second life after breaking”
Coffee Bean: “Aroma defeat verdict, complete loss”
Consumer Affairs Agency Staff: “Complaint numbers showing iron-clad growth”
Spinach: “Frustrated that my position keeps getting thinner”
Iron Supplement Tablet: “Trembling crunchily at sudden rival appearance”
Lawmaker Drafting Straw Tax: “Considering brilliant plan to vary tax rate by chewing or not”
Dental X-ray Machine: “Another dazzling day with metal reflections”