What Are "Smoke Biscuits" That Karnataka Boy Ate And Fell Sick

A boy fell sick after consuming "smoke biscuits" at a shop in Karnataka last week. The shop owner in Davanagere city had their license revoked for selling biscuits made with liquid nitrogen, and the authorities also promptly shut down the shop.

A video showing the boy consuming the "smoke biscuits" served by a street food vendor at an exhibition has gone viral.

The clip, which was shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter),  shows the vendor serving the dish in a disposable cup.

Upon taking a sip, the child promptly spits out the liquid and expresses discomfort. As the clip progresses, the boy collapses unconscious.

The text along with the clip reads, “This incident occurred at an exhibition near Aruna talkies, Dhavangare. Liquid Nitrogen converts into Ice form immediately. Excess amount of Liquid Nitrogen poured and the Ice cream swallowed by this small boy expanded inside the Lungs as a Big Ice cream.”

What is a smoke biscuit?

"Smoke biscuits" are prepared using liquid nitrogen, which is widely used as a coolant and can cause severe injuries to the mouth, throat, oesophagus, and stomach if ingested directly.

The liquid nitrogen, which is used in its preparation, is dangerous to health and can pose severe health risks as its temperatures can reach -196 degrees Celsius. Some of the adverse reactions include skin allergies, mouthburn, stomach ache, irritable bowel syndrome and more.

Several reports have mistaken the liquid nitrogen for dry ice. It must be noted that both dry ice and liquid nitrogen can cause immense harm to the human body. Dry ice and liquid nitrogen produce thick white vapours when kept at room temperature and are often used as a freezing agent in food preparation and preservation. Both substances should not be directly consumed or even applied to one's skin.