If you swallowed a small amount (like a cotton ball), etc it should be able to pass through your digestive tract easy enough without causing problems. It is not something you should do purposefully though.

Ken,

This information from Rutgers has what you are looking for. https://www.esc.rutgers.edu/ask_expert/ate_nutgfm.htm#cs

Thanks for coming by, hope it helps!

You raise a good point and it’s something I should have mentioned. I’ve eaten a few myself even knowing about gossypol. The oil is inside the seed and the oil isn’t a problem for us, in fact, its chosen by chefs all the time for the properties it offers. The seeds are not too toxic in small amounts but too much and it would be bad. You probably would have gotten a little sick first that would have gotten you to stop eating them. The efforts to remove gossypol would allow for more of the seed to be eaten though and that could be especially important in areas of Africa and India which have trouble meeting food demand. The hulls can be ground for a high protein meal that would be great for alleviating hunger.

Interesting. I haven’t heard of people with an allergy to cottonseed oil but I have heard of lots of other food allergies for decades and assume that it requires you to use a lot of care in reading labels. I’ve had friends have to talk to the chef or request food labels while we are at sit down restaurants to make sure an ingredient isn’t included. I think it could still be useful for a lot of other people and places though, particularly since cotton is grown in many poverty bound areas. Good to remember it would have to be labeled as an ingredient to make it possible for you to make the best decisions possible.