Hacker News Reader

I can see several reasons:

1. This isn't US, so those rules don't apply ("a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally imbedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States")

2. This may be more a viral thing than an actual packaging.

3. The water may not really be meant to be drunk, it's just a gimmick.

Thats interesting, I never heard of that. It sounds like it would technically apply to fortune cookies too.

Paper is edible; compared to small plastic toys it's practically delectable. As long as the ink is safe for consumption then there seems little to object about.

I guess EU would require Sony to certify the player for food contact and that would be expensive enough to be not worth the trouble. Or require to wipe any suggestions that the water is drinkable.

You can see the product inside so no one will drink it by mistake.