What Are Smoke Biscuits And Why Did Tamil Nadu Ban Them?

We live in a day and age where we consume reels for breakfast, posts for lunch and articles for dinner. Food that looks Insta-worthy and is viral on the Internet is consumed without a flinch. Hygiene, safety standards, ingredients used, what’s that? It looks good, so most probably it tastes good and is safe for consumption, we assume. Here’s where Smoke Biscuits recently removed the smokescreen that surrounds viral street food in India. The recent incident involving Smoke Biscuits became so serious that the state of Tamil Nadu even banned them.

Viral Video Shows Boy Suffering After Eating Smoke Biscuits In Karnataka

A video which went viral recently showed a young boy attending an exhibition with his family near Aruna Talkies in Davangere, Karnataka. In the video, the boy was seen consuming Smoke Biscuits served by a street food vendor at the exhibition. These biscuits when consumed emit smoke from one’s mouth. On eating the liquid nitrogen-filled biscuit, the boy instantly howled in excruciating pain.

Liquid nitrogen was used in the preparation of the smoke biscuit. It’s dangerous to one’s health and poses severe health risks. Due to its extremely low temperature, it can lead to adverse reactions in the human body including skin allergies, mouthburn, stomach ache, irritable bowel syndrome and more.

Also Read: This Viral Realistic-Looking Cat Wearing A Cute Hat In Bangkok Is Actually An Ice Cream! Would You Eat?

Tamil Nadu Bans Food Items Made Of Liquid Nitrogen

After this concerning video went viral, the Tamil Nadu government banned Smoke Biscuits from the state. The food safety department revoked the license of a street vendor selling Smoke Biscuits near Teppakulam in Madurai. Violations if found will lead to fines of up to ₹2 lakhs. Food officer Jayaram Pandian stated to TOI that he inspected the shop and ordered the owner to remove all stickers advertising this harmful product.

Moreover, the made sure the food safety department in Tamil Nadu cracks down on street food vendors and restaurants selling food items made of liquid nitrogen. He pointed out that many shops have already stopped selling Smoke Biscuits, liquid nitrogen paan and other similar products. The food safety officer emphasised the need to educate people on the harmful effects of dry ice and liquid nitrogen.

This is a serious issue in India and we hope food safety departments across other states also take stringent measures.

Cover Image Courtesy: thefoodiecam and @uttamprithvi/ Instagram 

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