Synthetic Fecal Fluid Patent

This 1994 patent for synthetic fecal fluid makes fascinating reading. I had never realized the diaper industry had such a pressing need for fake feces (to test their products), nor did I realize the lengths they had gone to in order to create substitutes:

It is not practical to use actual body fluids. As a result, synthetic materials and substitutes are used. Strange as it may seem, materials used in the past have included mashed potatoes, brownie mix, peanut butter and pumpkin pie filling.

I'll never look at mashed potatoes the same way again. But one issue the document doesn't address is this: to create synthetic fecal fluid I presume they had to compare their product against the real thing. That's a job I wouldn't want to have.

Gross

Posted on Thu Sep 08, 2005


Comments

I'll bet it was coloured light blue.
Posted by Stinky Pete  on  Fri Sep 09, 2005  at  08:35 AM
Pumpkin pie filling is actually a pretty accurate substite for that kind of thing.
Posted by Zoe  on  Fri Sep 09, 2005  at  09:41 AM
This is like the artificial dead cat we were discussing recently, inasmuch as both are cases where I wouldn't think the genuine article would ever be in short supply.
Posted by Big Gary in Dallas  on  Fri Sep 09, 2005  at  04:36 PM
Pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes?? What the hell were THEIR kids eating??
Posted by Maegan  on  Sun Sep 11, 2005  at  05:13 AM
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