In a significant move, the Tamil Nadu government’s food safety department has enforced a prohibition on the utilization of Liquid Nitrogen(LN) in smoke biscuits under the provisions of a food safety Act, this Thursday.
The decision to impose the ban comes following the circulation of a recent video depicting the alleged fatality of a boy from Karnataka subsequent to the ingestion of a ‘Smoke Biscuit’, a delicacy infused with LN. Investigations have unveiled that the afflicted boy, who fell ill after consuming the Liquid Nitrogen-infused smoke biscuit, was promptly hospitalized and ultimately saved through medical intervention.
In accordance with the directives issued by the Designated Food Safety Official, food producers and retailers are henceforth prohibited from employing LN beyond the sanctioned usage outlined in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.
The directive elucidated that the act categorizes additives as substances authorized for purposes encompassing enhancing nutritional value, facilitating production, preservation, manufacturing, treatment, packaging, and transportation.
In compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), LN has been sanctioned for application as a frothing agent, packaging gas, and catalyzer.
“The legislation stipulates that Liquid Nitrogen may solely be employed as an additive within the specified parameters detailed in nine use cases delineated in the regulations. Liquid Nitrogen is sanctioned for utilization as a packaging gas, preservative, and for oxygen removal in certain instances,” as stated in the directive.
Furthermore, it was noted that the department has been apprised of the presence of establishments offering LN-infused biscuits that contravene the stipulations laid down in the 2011 regulatory decree. LN is unequivocally barred from being incorporated into ready-to-eat foods, particularly biscuits.
Emphasizing strict enforcement, the directive cautioned that the department possesses the authority to initiate punitive measures against errant establishments. The District Food Safety Official is empowered to levy fines up to Rs 10,000, with the penalty escalating to Rs 2 lakhs in cases where the violator holds a Food Safety License. This provision extends to vendors operating outside regulatory oversight or lacking safety certifications. In instances where consumers suffer illness or fatality subsequent to consuming LN-infused instant ready-to-eat foods, criminal proceedings will be instigated.
This directive is issued with the paramount objective of safeguarding the safety and well-being of the populace.