What is ‘dry ice’ at the centre of the Gurugram restaurant incident?

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Msc

Context:

At a Gurugram restaurant, the diners were mistakenly given “dry ice” as a mouth freshener, leading to severe health reactions including vomiting blood.

Dry ice:

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide, recognized by authoritative bodies such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a hazardous substance.
Direct contact with skin or ingestion can lead to significant harm to both skin and internal organs due to its extremely cold temperatures and the risk of sublimation into carbon dioxide gas, potentially causing breathlessness.

Primary Use:

Primarily utilized as a cooling agent for food products, dry ice is favoured for its ability to maintain lower temperatures than water ice and for leaving no residue, other than incidental frost.
It finds applications in preserving frozen foods where conventional mechanical cooling is impractical.
Additionally, dry ice is employed in fog machines for theatrical effects and other applications requiring temporary refrigeration.

Characteristics:

Sublimates at 194.7 K (−78.5 °C; −109.2 °F) under Earth’s atmospheric pressure.
Can lead to hypercapnia if it outgasses in confined spaces.

Safe Handling Guidelines:

Awareness campaigns are necessary to educate food business operators and citizens on the proper and safe handling of dry ice.
FSSAI warns against storing dry ice in enclosed spaces and underscores the need for well-ventilated areas to mitigate health risks.
The FDA emphasizes that dry ice should not compromise food safety and advises against its direct consumption or skin contact.
- Establishments using dry ice should implement safety procedures and employee training to prevent accidental ingestion or contact, according to the FDA.
The CDC recommends using gloves designed for cold temperatures, safety goggles, and working in well-ventilated areas to handle dry ice safely, strictly advising against its consumption.

Source: TH