TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: The recent viral video depicting a child in distress after consuming a ‘smoking’ biscuit has prompted food safety officials to take action regarding the use of liquid nitrogen in food preparation.
EXPLANATION:
- We will look into the implications of such practices and the response from food safety departments across various regions.
Concerns Raised by Food Safety Officials
- Food safety authorities have expressed alarm over the misuse of liquid nitrogen in food items such as biscuits and ice creams, leading to potential health hazards.
- The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 empowers designated officers to take enforcement action against any food business operator found using liquid nitrogen for direct consumption without proper precautions.
Incidents of Misuse and Regulatory Measures
- Previous incidents, such as the arrest of a vendor in Tiruchi and enforcement actions taken at Chennai’s trade fair, highlight the dangers associated with ‘smoking’ biscuits.
- Liquid nitrogen, with its extremely low boiling point, can cause severe injuries upon contact with body parts, including the lips, tongue, throat, lungs, and stomach.
- Vendors infusing food with liquid nitrogen for novelty effects risk endangering consumers’ health and violating food safety regulations.
Health Risks and Safety Guidelines
- Food safety officers emphasize that liquid nitrogen can cause frostbite-like injuries, tissue damage, organ perforation, unconsciousness, and even fatalities if mishandled or consumed.
- The necessity for complete evaporation of liquid nitrogen from food or beverages before consumption is stressed to mitigate health risks.
- Only trained professionals, such as doctors, are permitted to handle liquid nitrogen safely in medical settings, underscoring its hazardous nature.
Legal Action and Enforcement Measures
- Instances of vendors endangering consumers’ health by incorporating liquid nitrogen into food have resulted in immediate closures of stalls and subsequent arrests.
- Food safety departments have issued bans on the use of liquid nitrogen in food preparation, except for specific purposes like storing food items.
Regional Variations in Usage and Trend Observations
- While ‘smoking’ food items like panipuri and paan have gained popularity in certain regions, such as Tiruchi, they remain rare in regular eateries.
- Local culinary experts note a shift in the trend towards larger cities, indicating changing consumer preferences and culinary practices.
- Food safety officers in regions like Thoothukudi have issued detailed guidelines on the safe use of liquid nitrogen for food storage purposes, highlighting its potential benefits when utilized appropriately.
- It is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, non-corrosive and extremely cold element.
- It is an inert cryogenic fluid with a temperature of −196 °C produced by compressing and cooling nitrogen gas below its evaporation point.
- Applications: Freezing and transporting of food products, Cryotherapy, etc.
- Harmful Effects: It can rapidly freeze skin tissue and eye fluid, resulting in cold burns, frostbite, etc.
Food Safety and Standards Act 2006:
- The Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 consolidates various acts & orders that had earlier handled food-related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
- The acts that were repealed after commencement of FSS Act, 2006 are as follows:
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
- Fruit Products Order, 1955
- Meat Food Products Order, 1973
- Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
- Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1988
- Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation of FSSAI.
- Before the formation of FSSAI, from 1954 onwards Prevention of Food Adulteration was part of the Directorate General of Health Services.
- After having detached from the direct administrative control of the Health Ministry, this authority is holding independent authority and has attained a special status.