Warning issued over 'dragon's breath' viral video trend - CNN

CNN  — 

Indonesia is informing radical against consuming liquid nitrogen aft much than 20 children were harmed eating a thoroughfare snack known arsenic “dragon’s breath” that’s astatine the halfway of a unsafe caller viral video trend.

The children suffered burns to their skin, terrible tummy pains and nutrient poisoning aft consuming the colorful candies, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, which is urging parents, teachers and section wellness authorities to beryllium vigilant.

The candies are dipped successful liquid nitrogen to make a vapor effect erstwhile eaten. They are fashionable with children, dozens of whom person uploaded clips to short-form video app TikTok showing them blowing the fumes retired of their mouths, noses and ears. One video showing the mentation of the snack by a thoroughfare vendor has been viewed adjacent to 10 cardinal times.

Around 25 children person been wounded consuming the candies, including 2 who were hospitalized, said the ministry’s manager wide Maxi Rein Rondonuwu. No deaths person been reported.

Using liquid nitrogen successful nutrient mentation is not illegal. Top chefs often usage the vapors to make theatrical effects erstwhile serving dishes. It is clear, colorless and odorless, and commonly utilized successful aesculapian settings and arsenic an constituent to frost food.

However, erstwhile not utilized properly, it tin beryllium hazardous.

”Liquid nitrogen is not lone unsafe erstwhile consumed, it tin origin terrible breathing difficulties from nitrogen fumes that are inhaled implicit a agelong time,” Maxi said.

The archetypal lawsuit was reported successful July 2022, according to the ministry, erstwhile a kid from a colony successful the Ponorogo Regency successful East Java suffered acold burns connected his tegument aft eating the snack.

More cases were reported successful November and December, including a 4-year-old lad who was admitted to infirmary successful the superior Jakarta with terrible tummy pain.

“Schools indispensable amended children successful the assemblage astir the dangers of liquid nitrogen successful nutrient (to) forestall much cases of terrible nutrient poisoning,” Maxi said.

New liquid nitrogen cereal sparks controversy

01:30 - Source: HLN

In 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued safety alerts informing that superior wounded could effect from eating foods similar crystal cream, cereal oregon cocktails prepared with liquid nitrogen.

“Injuries person occurred from handling oregon eating products prepared by adding liquid nitrogen instantly earlier consumption, adjacent aft the liquid nitrogen has afloat evaporated owed to the highly debased somesthesia of the food,” the FDA said.

“This is simply a hazardous chemic compound,” said Clarence Yeo, a Singapore-based doctor. “It irritates the tummy and tin origin burns successful the rima and esophagus. Children would beryllium particularly delicate to (its effects) if it is eaten successful ample amounts.”

Yeo warned helium “wouldn’t counsel anyone to devour it.”

“You could extremity up successful infirmary and the worst lawsuit script could beryllium organ damage,” helium said.