SMELLS LIKE BEAN SPIRIT

The following is an absolutely genuine item off today's AP wire. As near as I can tell from the last line of the story, this product was penalized for being TOO biochemically realistic. It certainly sounds like the effects of the real thing to me. Anyway, I am blogging the item just for its sheer Christmasy tone. --BW

'Fart Bomb' toys yanked over dangerous fumes
Associated Press Dec. 22, 2004 08:45 AM

HONG KONG - Some "Fart Bomb" toys are producing more than a bad smell. Officials are pulling the toys from shelves because the gag gift - a metallic bag that gives off a stench - produces a dangerous chemical reaction, the government said.
Customs officers have seized 263 bags and are urging parents to hand in any of the unused toys to a consumer protection bureau, a government statement said Tuesday.
The toy includes a silver-colored bag labeled "Fart Bomb." The bag contains sulfur compound powder and an inner plastic bag of diluted acid, the government said. "When players press the package to break the inner plastic bag, the sulfur compound powder will then come in contact with the acid," the statement said. "The package will be inflated and then burst, giving off a disgusting smell," it said. The sulfur-acid mixture produces hydrogen sulfide, which can cause nausea, headaches and eye irritation, the government said.