Parents in Thailand Warned Over Dragon’s Breath Treat

People in Thailand are being told a liquid nitrogen-based sweet called Dragon’s Breath, should be treated with caution because it might induce frostbite, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday.

On Friday, a story of a youngster burnt her lips while eating Dragon’s Breath was reported on the popular Facebook fan page Drama-Addict.

The young girl’s parents shared a photo of their daughter with bleeding mouth sores. They stated the lesions formed the next day after she ate Dragon’s Breath.

 

The major ingredient, liquid nitrogen, creates a cloud of vapor to pass through the eater’s nose and mouth, giving Dragon’s Breath its name.

According to the Facebook page’s administrator stated, liquid nitrogen is a safe ingredient because chefs frequently use it to freeze meals fast.

“However, if consumers do not wait for the liquid nitrogen in Dragon’s Breath to entirely evaporate, they risk frostbite,” the administrator warned.

According to the Facebook page, this is not the first documented injury caused by food containing liquid nitrogen.

It also mentioned an instance in South Korea where a boy was diagnosed with a five-centimeter hole in his stomach due to the procedure.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, liquid nitrogen is a restricted substance, Wanchai Sattayawutthiphong, secretary-general of the FDA said.

According to him, any vendor who overuses liquid nitrogen in their food will be fined at least 20,000 baht or imprisoned for two years or more.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has advised individuals, particularly youngsters, to limit their sugary drinks after discovering that a quarter of youths aged 6 to 24 consume them regularly.

People in this age group drink tea, coffee, and other sugary beverages once or twice a week. Such beverages are consumed daily by approximately 31% of persons aged 45-59 and 27.4% of those aged 25-44.

The department’s deputy director-general, Ekkachai Piansriwatchara, stated that many individuals add sugar to their beverages, which has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

He suggested that parents and schools monitor their children’s diets and limit their sugar intake to four teaspoons per day to assist them in maintaining a healthy weight.