More than two dozen children fThey were hospitalized in Indonesia after suffering horrific internal burns after eating a popular street snack known as dragon’s breath or “breath of the dragon”.
The health authorities of that Asian country are now warning against the consumption of this foodwhich contains as main ingredient: liquid nitrogen.
Consumption of liquid nitrogen among children has become widespread due to one of the viral trends, or challengeson the social network TikTok that challenges kids to film themselves devouring steaming ice cream so they can put out the smoke and look like they have dragon’s breath.
children at risk
The Indonesian Ministry of Health alerted parents, teachers and health authorities as many of these children suffered skin burns, severe stomach pains and food poisoning after consuming these dangerous delicacies.
“About 25 minors were injured by consuming sweets,” ministry director general Maxi Rein Rondonuwu confirmed to CNN. But fortunately, no deaths have been reported yet.
The ministry has asked the local health authorities to do so monitor establishments that use liquid nitrogen and inform them about how it can be used safely in food preparation.
Furthermore, schools have been asked by the ministry to do so educate children about the dangers of consumption of street treats known locally as chiki ngebul or chikibulis.
Dozens of videos show teenagers and young children expelling smoke from the mouth and nose after consuming chikibulis, and also one of them which has amassed more than 60 thousand views, shows a little boy expelling smoke from a hole in the candy.
Uses of liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is transparent, colorless and odorlessand typically has medical uses, as does industrial freezing of foods, and is also used on a small scale as a non-polluting energy source for motor vehicles.
The employment of liquid nitrogen in food preparation is not illegal and is used by famous chefs around the world to create visual effects when serving dishes, but not to eat it directly.
Of course, when it is not used properly, it can be very dangerous.
Peddlers of chikibulis dip the sweets in liquid nitrogen to create a smoky effect when eaten by children. A video where a street vendor shows how to prepare these sweets added about 10 million views.
The Health Ministry spokesman explained that “liquid nitrogen is not only dangerous when consumed, but also can cause severe breathing difficulties due to the nitrogen vapors that are inhaled for a long time”.
The first reported case dates back to July 2022, when a boy from a village in the Ponorogo area of East Java, suffered burns to the skin after eating the dangerous delicacy.
Cases increased in November and December. A 4-year-old boy has been hospitalized in the capital Jakarta with severe stomach pains.
“Schools should educate community children about the dangers of liquid nitrogen in food (paragraph) prevent more cases of severe food poisoning”, the official argued.
Death danger
If liquid nitrogen is consumed before evaporation “there is the possibility of burns and intestinal perforationss, and in severe cases it can lead to death,” Dr Dicky Budima, a health security researcher at Griffith University in Australia, told The Guardian.
Budiman explained to the British newspaper that although the candy has been around for several years and liquid nitrogen is commonly used in food preparation, “it’s now easier to access than it has been historically.”
For the medical expert this is a problem as more street vendors have access to liquid nitrogen but don’t know how to use it properly, nor are children aware of the dangers of ingesting them.
Source: Univision and The Guardian
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.