Mouths on Fire

It’s a cold fire that is sure to leave a bad taste in your mouth or even burn it down. The nasty episode of five people falling seriously sick, allegedly after consuming mouth freshener that had dry ice mixed in it, at a Gurugram restaurant after having dinner, has brought the spotlight on dry ice and its harmful effects.

So what is dry ice, which led the five people to vomit blood and burn the insides of their mouths?

Dr. Jagadeesh Kumar V, senior consultant physician and lifestyle specialist at KIMS Hospitals, says dry ice is as simple as eating or consuming flames.

“Dry ice is composed of frozen carbon dioxide, notable for its unique characteristic of not melting but instead transitioning directly from a solid to a gas at atmospheric pressure, a process known as sublimation,” he explains.

When placed in water, dry ice releases carbon dioxide gas, which can be hazardous if inhaled in high concentrations and is extremely cold. “Due to its freezing temperature, handling dry ice with gloves or tongs is essential to avoid frostbite,” says Dr. Jagadeesh.

Minus degrees

Elaborating, Dr. Jagadeesh says dry ice chemically is solidified carbon dioxide (CO2) and has a temperature of minus 100 °C.

“Any solid with such an extreme minus-degree temperature coming into contact with any viable tissue freezes them (cold burns),” he says.

This in turn causes a burning sensation and possibly an immediate breach of the mucosa (the inner layer of the orifices), leading to bleeding. “The amount of bleeding depends upon the duration of contact of this dry ice with the tissue surfaces.”

No active caution

The use of dry ice has phenomenally increased, with no active caution, particularly in food delivery systems. “This incident is an eye-opener. One has to deal with hazardous things with the utmost caution and vigilance. The longer the duration of dry ice in contact, the more damage it does,” warns Dr. Jagadeesh

IT’S LETHAL

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dry ice is a lethal substance. Four of the five people have been hospitalised. According to a complaint filed by Ankit Kumar, a Greater Noida resident, he went to a restaurant in Sector 90 with his wife and four friends for dinner on Saturday. After dinner, the waiter at the restaurant offered mouth freshener, which everyone took. Their health soon deteriorated, and they were rushed to the hospital, Kumar claimed, adding that the restaurant staff fled.

Dry ice burns are comparable to fire burns.” — Dr. Jagadeesh Kumar V, KIMS Hospital

Dry ice can be lethal

Any contact with moisture is dangerous. Even when we handle, we wear gloves. It’s used for effect, but more in the background and not in direct contact with food or beverage. We use a base, where we pour water. Food or beverage is in another container (bowl, glass, etc.) that’s embedded. So when you pour water on dry ice, it creates a beautiful cloud. More visual experience.” — Shankar Krishnamurthy, restaurateur, Fusion Hospitality