Bengaluru:

A 12-year-old girl developed a hole in her stomach after eating a ‘smoky paan’ infused with liquid nitrogen at a wedding event in Bengaluru recently. The girl was rushed to a hospital after she complained of severe stomach pain and bloating.

“When we examined her, we saw that there was a tear in her stomach and it was filled with gas,” the doctor who operated on her told NDTV.

The girl was diagnosed with a condition called perforation peritonitis – a hole in the stomach.

“This could have posed a threat to her life. So, we immediately decided to operate on her,” said Dr Vijay HS of Narayan Health Bengaluru.

The doctor surgically removed the part of the stomach with the hole. The girl was in the ICU for three days.

Use Of Liquid Nitrogen In Food

Liquid nitrogen is nowadays being used in a novel food trend to create frozen desserts or produce vapour clouds when food items dipped in liquid nitrogen are exposed to air.

“Children get attracted to liquid nitrogen because in normal temperatures it emits smoke. They see it and they think about social media reels,” said Dr Vijay.

Liquid nitrogen is a liquid that has a very low boiling point of -196 degrees Celsius and is present as a gas at room temperature. It has long been used to freeze and reduce microbial growth during manufacturing processes in the food industry.

Harmful Effects Of Liquid Nitrogen

Liquid or low-temperature gas produces effects on the skin similar to a burn. The extremely low temperature of the liquid can cause severe frostbite or eye damage upon contact. Inhalation or ingestion
of the gas could also cause asphyxiation and airway or gastric perforations due to the extreme cold.

“Liquid nitrogen has a temperature between -190 to -200 degrees Celsius. So, if you touch something like that, you will experience a burning sensation. We call that cold burn. Even if you consume 2 ml or 2 mg of it, it can release 1.5-litre gas,” the doctor said.

Action On Liquid Nitrogen

Some state governments advise against the use of liquid Nitrogen but “the rules are not very strict,” said Dr Vijay.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday warned food business operators against using liquid nitrogen for direct consumption along with food items like biscuits, ice creams, wafer biscuits etc., and said liquid nitrogen should be fully evaporated from the food or drinks before being served.

“The liquid nitrogen (INS 941) is permitted only as a processing aid, as contact freezing and colouring agents (substances that can cause rapid freezing on contact with food) as per Appendix C-S.No.9 under processing Categories in the product category dairy-based desserts – Ice Cream,” a government release said.

There is no such ban or advisory in Karnataka.

A boy fell sick after consuming “smoke biscuits” at a shop in Karnataka last week. The shop owner in Davanagere city had their license revoked for selling biscuits made with liquid nitrogen, and the authorities also promptly shut down the shop.

A video showing the boy consuming the “smoke biscuits” served by a street food vendor at an exhibition has gone viral.

The clip, which was shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter),  shows the vendor serving the dish in a disposable cup.

Upon taking a sip, the child promptly spits out the liquid and expresses discomfort. As the clip progresses, the boy collapses unconscious.

The text along with the clip reads, “This incident occurred at an exhibition near Aruna talkies, Dhavangare. Liquid Nitrogen converts into Ice form immediately. Excess amount of Liquid Nitrogen poured and the Ice cream swallowed by this small boy expanded inside the Lungs as a Big Ice cream.”

This incident occurred at an exhibition near Aruna talkies, Dhavangare.
Liquid Nitrogen converts into Ice form immediately.
Excess amount of Liquid Nitrogen poured and the Ice cream swallowed by this small boy got expanded inside the Lungs as a Big Ice cream. pic.twitter.com/1tZSRZQS7o

— uttam mishra (@uttamprithvi) April 24, 2024

What is a smoke biscuit?

“Smoke biscuits” are prepared using liquid nitrogen, which is widely used as a coolant and can cause severe injuries to the mouth, throat, oesophagus, and stomach if ingested directly.

The liquid nitrogen, which is used in its preparation, is dangerous to health and can pose severe health risks as its temperatures can reach -196 degrees Celsius. Some of the adverse reactions include skin allergies, mouthburn, stomach ache, irritable bowel syndrome and more.

Several reports have mistaken the liquid nitrogen for dry ice. It must be noted that both dry ice and liquid nitrogen can cause immense harm to the human body. Dry ice and liquid nitrogen produce thick white vapours when kept at room temperature and are often used as a freezing agent in food preparation and preservation. Both substances should not be directly consumed or even applied to one’s skin.