Childproof button battery from Energizer to prevent fatal accidents

Samuel Buchmann

7/5/2026

Translation: machine translated

Small children around the world swallow several thousand button cells every year. The consequences can be fatal chemical burns. Energizer wants to prevent this with a new cell chemistry.

Energizer is launching a new generation of button cells designed to eliminate the risk of severe burns after ingestion. The «Ultimate Child Shield» will soon be available for cell sizes CR2032, CR2025 and CR2016. Such batteries are found in many everyday devices such as remote controls, car keys or AirTags. According to the manufacturer, an integrated protection technology prevents corrosive hydroxide ions from forming in the oesophagus or stomach.

Health authorities have been warning about the consequences of such accidents for years. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the US organisation National Capital Poison Center refer to several thousand cases per year, mainly among small children. Tissue damage can occur within just 15 minutes, and life-threatening injuries can occur after around two hours - even if the battery is removed later.

Colour warning and bitter substances

Ultimate Child Shield combines the modified cell chemistry with additional layers of protection. A coating colours the mouth blue within seconds on contact with saliva and is intended to alert carers to a possible incident. The food colouring used is non-toxic. In addition, the cells are coated with a bittering agent to deter children and pets. Childproof blister packaging also makes it difficult to access the batteries.

The number of reported incidents involving lithium button cells has risen significantly in recent decades. This is due to the growing use of the batteries in toys, smart home devices and trackers. Other manufacturers have also developed cells with bitter coatings and improved packaging in recent years.

AirTags were criticised at the time of their launch for being too easy for children to open. Childproof batteries would be a sensible safety measure. However, Apple has been warning since 2021 that CR2032 cells with a bitter coating can cause contact problems depending on their orientation. No independent tests have been carried out to date.

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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