The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has cautioned against use of liquid nitrogen in products such as cocktails, ice-creams, meetha pan and bakery items at the point of sale. The food safety regulator said such use of liquid nitrogen immediately before consumption of food items is “unauthorised” and will attract “ action” in accordance with the regulations.
In an advisory, the food safety authority expressed concerns of instances where such “unauthorised use” of liquid nitrogen in food items and direct consumption of liquid nitrogen infused food by consumers has led to “serious health issues and injuries.” It noted it has taken cognisance of several instances of liquid nitrogen being used in bars, restaurants, food serving establishement, caterer in fairs and marriage in food items to make them more “eye-pleasing” or add “some theater look) at the time of serving.
“ Liquid nitrogen which is illicitly being used directly at the point of serving or plating is not allowed as this is not the intended purpose and technological use of the additive and shall be considered as non-compliance by the food businesses doing so,” FSSAI said.
It added that Food Safety and Standards regulations do not outline the use of liquid nitrogen for preparing food products at the point of sale, immmediately before consumption.
Nitrogen is a colourless and odourless gas or liquid, with the functional use of “freezing agent, propellant, packaging gasr or foaming agent. FSSAI said that as per the FSS regulations, Nitrogen is a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) additive and its use has been laid out in the regulations for specific food categories. In addition, dairy-based desserts (ice-creams) at GMP level liquid nitrogen is permitted to be used only for “technological function of contact freezing and cooling only,” FSSAI added.
“Any violation of this shall result in initiation of statutory action against the food businesses in accordance with the FSS Act 2006 and rule and regulations made thereunder,” the FSSAI advisory stated.
