Drug Administration (FDA) issued a product warning in 2001 and was subsequently banned in the U.S. and Canada. recall. A recent warning of the risk of choking and intestinal obstruction has been posted on the website.

Unlike gelatin and some other commonly used gelling agents, konjac jelly does not melt easily in the mouth. Some products form a gel strong enough to require chewing to break the gel down. Although the product is intended to be consumed by gently squeezing the container, consumers may suck the product out with enough force to inadvertently get it lodged in the windpipe. Because of this hazard, konjac jelly is banned in the European Union and Australia.

The size and consistency of some konjac jelly treats do not pose a choking risk, but are still subject to the government's ban. [15] Some of the products left in the East Asian market were larger in size, unusual in shape, and finer in texture than the round plug gels associated with choking incidents. [citation needed] These treats often carry warning labels advising parents to make sure their children chew the jelly thoroughly before swallowing. [citation needed]

MannanLife, Japan's largest maker of konjac snacks, has temporarily halted production of MannanLife konjac jelly after a 21-month-old Japanese boy choked to death on frozen MannanLife konjac jelly. [16] Between 1995 and 2008, 17 people suffocated to death from eating konjac. [17] MannanLife konjac jelly packages now display a reminder to consumers advising them to cut the product into small pieces before serving it to children.