02.07.2026 14:10
Noah Walden, a resident of the United States, suffered a bowel perforation due to a metal wire that accidentally mixed into a hamburger cooked on the grill. The young man underwent emergency surgery, and approximately 8 centimeters of his intestine were removed. Following the incident, experts warned against metal-bristled grill brushes, and two major manufacturers recalled over 13 million grill cleaning brushes.
The joy of barbecuing, a popular summer pastime, turned into a nightmare for Noah Walden, who lives in the US state of Minnesota. A metal wire that accidentally entered the hamburger he ate on Memorial Day caused serious health problems days later.
Walden said he didn't feel any problem while eating the hamburger, but about a week later, he was taken to the emergency room in the middle of the night with severe abdominal pain.
IT PIERCED HIS INTESTINE
A computed tomography (CT) scan at the hospital revealed that a thin metal wire, which had broken off from a grill cleaning brush, had lodged in his intestine, causing a perforation.
Doctors decided on emergency surgery, removing the metal wire and having to take out about 8 centimeters of the damaged intestine.
After the surgery, Walden was left with a surgical scar about 15 centimeters long on his abdomen.
"THROW AWAY METAL WIRE BRUSHES FROM YOUR HOME"
Speaking after the incident, Walden's mother, Amie Walden, warned others to prevent similar occurrences.
Mother Walden stated that metal wire grill cleaning brushes used in homes pose a serious risk and said everyone should stop using these products.
OVER 13 MILLION BRUSHES RECALLED
It also emerged that the incident was not an isolated case. Following complaints of injuries and swallowing metal wires from consumers, two major grill manufacturers recalled over 13 million metal wire grill brushes in total.
According to a statement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Nexgrill decided to recall approximately 10.2 million metal wire brushes sold between 2015 and 2025 from the market. The company reported that wires from the products could break off and mix into food.
Similarly, Weber recalled about 3.2 million metal wire grill brushes after at least 38 complaints and began offering its customers free nylon bristle alternative cleaning brushes.
CRITICAL WARNING FROM EXPERTS
Experts state that thin wires breaking off from worn-out metal wire brushes can stick to the grill and then unknowingly mix into the meat and hamburgers being cooked.
Emphasizing that these small metal pieces entering the digestive system can cause serious internal injuries, especially intestinal perforation, experts recommend using safer methods for grill cleaning such as nylon brushes, aluminum foil, cleaning stones, or onions instead of metal wire brushes.