The FSSAI, FDA, and CDC advise against touching the solid form of carbon dioxide that is frequently employed as a chilling agent in ice cream and frozen desserts with “bare hands,” much alone consuming it.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have all declared that “dry ice,” which was inadvertently served to a group of diners at a restaurant in Gurugram on March 2, 2024, and which caused them to vomit blood, is a deadly substance.
The solid form of carbon dioxide, known as “dry ice,” is frequently used to cool culinary items like ice cream and frozen desserts. It is often utilized for food products that require freezing or cooling without the necessity for mechanical cooling. But if not used correctly, it could be harmful to people’s health because it sublimates into a lot of carbon dioxide gas, which could cause dyspnea.
The organization goes on to say that dry ice should never be transported, stored, or kept in a closed space since the release of carbon dioxide gas may cause dyspnea. “To prevent any health risks, precautions must constantly be taken to ensure that the space under use is appropriately ventilated.”
Additionally, the FSSAI calls on all State and UT Commissioners of Food Safety “to initiate a systematic campaign for generating awareness among all food business operators and citizens on the safe and proper handling of dry ice as cooling agent for food products.”
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Dry ice poses risks, as the US FDA also notes.Regarding whether the FDA Food Code forbids the use of dry ice and liquid nitrogen in the preparation or serving of food in retail and food service facilities, it released an interpretation of the code in 2018.
The model Food Code is not preemptive and is not a federal law or regulation. It embodies the FDA’s best recommendations for a standardized regulatory framework to guarantee that food is safe, appropriately stored, and presented in retail settings.
“Never use your bare hands to handle dry ice. Wear safety goggles and gloves made for extremely cold temperatures at all times. Always operate in a room with enough ventilation. In a note dated January 7, 2021, the CDC cautions, “Do not eat dry ice.”The guests at Laforessta cafe in Sector 90 in Gurugram were filmed eating the mouth freshner that a server had given them, and the video quickly went viral on social media.
Among the group was Ankit Kumar, who did not have the freshner. After taking the others to a hospital, he was informed that the freshner was actually dry ice and was allowed to notify the police.According to media sources, a First Information Report has been filed against the waiter.
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