It's every parent's worst nightmare.

We're talking about that heart-stopping moment when a child chokes on food. In an instant, you have a life-or-death situation on your hands. Perhaps the most frightening aspect is that choking is unpredictable and can stem from what seems like the most innocuous foods, everyday staples we typically don't give a second thought.

While most parents don't like to think about choking, it's a harsh reality. According to the New York State Department of Health, choking is the fourth-leading cause of unintentional deaths in kids under age 5. In the United States, at least one child dies from choking every five days -- and those numbers don't include the 10,000 children who are rushed to the hospital with food choking-related injuries every year.

With statistics like that, it's easy for parents to get choked up. And they aren't the only ones. In 2010, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new policy asking the Federal Drug Administration to slap warning labels on foods that put children in harm's way. They also called upon food manufacturers to consider repackaging foods in ways that make them less dangerous for youngsters.