Food safety watchdog warns of liquid nitrogen dangers

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned consumers to beware food and drink containing liquid nitr…

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned consumers to beware food and drink containing liquid nitrogen, following emergency surgery to remove the stomach of a teenager who allegedly drank an alcoholic cocktail containing the chemical.

While liquid nitrogen – used to chill and freeze food – is not toxic, its extreme cold temperature makes it unsafe for people to drink and eat.

Colin Houston, the FSA’s head of incident management, said: “There are safety and handling guidelines around the use of liquid nitrogen, especially in relation to food. It is the business owner’s responsibility to make sure that their staff have been trained and are aware of the potential risks of using liquid nitrogen. They also have to have appropriate safety measures in place to protect both their staff and consumers.

Local enforcement officers

“The FSA will be making local enforcement officers aware of the practice of using liquid nitrogen in the use of cocktails and it will be something officers can incorporate as part of their inspection regime.”

Meanwhile, Lancashire Police said the teenager Gaby Scanlon would have died if doctors had not removed her stomach.

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has helped to popularised the use of liquid nitrogen in cooking by using it to make ice cream.