Recently, the Haryana government banned liquid hydrogen in drinks and food, a few weeks after a medical emergency happened in a Gurgaon bar.
A 30-year-old businessman was rushed to the hospital few hours after he walked into the bar, and consumed a cocktail laced with liquid nitrogen. After consuming the drink, he reportedly complained of breathlessness and pain in the abdomen. Minutes later, he was in excruciating pain, and with a swollen stomach. He was rushed to the hospital where he was operated upon. According to reports, doctors said 'nearly half of his stomach was removed' during the surgery.
What exactly is liquid nitrogen and what are the risks involved in using it?
As the name suggests, liquid nitrogen is the liquefied form of nitrogen. With a boiling point of minus 196 degrees Celsius, liquid nitrogen is incredibly cold and finds a wide variety of applications—freezing and transporting food items, cryopreservation of biological samples like sperms and eggs, as a coolant in computers, and also in cryotherapy to remove unwanted skin in medicine.
Besides these, liquid nitrogen is being increasingly used in pubs and hotels to instantly freeze food and drinks, and also to create an appealing halo or plumes of smoke over certain cocktail drinks. A quick Google search will throw several liquid nitrogen recipes, including those for instant ice creams. This, too, is a raving trend in many pubs and restaurants. You need not wait for the ice cream ingredients to blend in, and freeze. Just mix in the ingredients and flavour of your choice, and carefully add liquid nitrogen along with it. This instantly cools the mixture, and instant ice cream is ready, with a fancy-looking cloud of vapour.
Using liquid nitrogen in food and drinks is common despite the risks involved. The liquefied gas being extremely cold can cause frostbite or literally burn your skin if not handled with care. A small volume of liquid nitrogen releases a large volume of gas, primarily because of its property of large expansion ratio. This sudden burst of gas can burn your stomach if consumed. Ideally food items using liquid nitrogen, should be served and consumed only after all the liquid has evaporated. Many consumers, however, are not aware of it.
