Soap manufacturers are planning to make dishwasher liquitabs with a nasty taste in an effort to stop children eating them, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday.

The Dutch poison information centre NVIC said on Monday an average of 37 children a month are biting on the capsules after mistaking them for sweets. In total it received 445 reports of accidents involving children and detergents last year.

Liquitabs are small, pre-measured doses of liquid laundry or dishwasher detergent, in a soft clear plastic capsule and have become increasingly popular.

Breathing problems

While in most cases ingesting the capsules can lead to vomiting and slight breathing problems, in some cases the corrosive chemical contents can cause burns or other severe injuries.

It is unclear how many children have been seriously injured biting into or swallowing the tabs in the Netherlands, the Volkskrant said.

The paper says capsules with a bitter tasting coating will be on the market within a year. In France and Britain the capsules are now sold in child-proof boxes and are no longer transparent.