#trending: Indonesia issues warning over viral liquid nitrogen 'dragon's breath' snack

INDONESIA — A seemingly harmless street snack popularised by TikTok has caused children in Indonesia to suffer from skin burns, food poisoning and internal organ damage, prompting the country's health authorities to warn people against consuming it.

Nicknamed “dragon’s breath” for the puffs of smoke that one emits when eating the snack, chiki ngebul or chikibulis consists of a colourful assortment of candy or cereal coated with liquid nitrogen and toppings like chocolate sauce. 

Dr Anas Ma’ruf, the Indonesian Health Ministry’s director for environmental health, said: “Liquid nitrogen (could reach temperatures) of -190°C. So if it comes into contact with the skin it can cause frostbite or cold burns... It could also cause respiratory and digestive problems if inhaled and swallowed (in large amounts).”

His ministry has ordered local health authorities to ramp up monitoring of food establishments and urged parents and teachers to be vigilant.

Mobile hawker food outlets are discouraged from selling such snacks, according to several news outlets.

In West Java, at least 28 children aged four to 13 were recorded to have food poisoning or internal organ damage after consuming chiki ngebul since November 2022, reported media outlet Coconuts Jakarta.

The snack left one four-year-old in West Java with a 2cm tear in his stomach, which required him to undergo an operation, according to Indonesian media outlet Kompas.com. 

In response to the cases, the Deputy Governor of West Java announced a ban of chiki ngebul last Thursday (Jan 12), reported Tempo.co.

“Dragon’s breath” gained popularity on TikTok, with several videos showing children blowing fumes out of their nose, mouth and ears going viral. The hashtag “dragonsbreath” on TikTik has amassed a total of 205 million cumulative views. 

While most videos of children eating the snack seem to have been removed from the video sharing platform, videos of adults trying the snack still remain.

TODAY spotted a video of a toddler munching on the nitrogen-infused snack posted in September last year, which has received 80,000 views.

IS LIQUID NITROGEN DANGEROUS FOR CONSUMPTION?

The use of liquid nitrogen in food is not new. The clear, colourless and odourless compound is commonly used to preserve food and produce theatrical effects when serving dishes. 

However, when consumed in large amounts, it can be dangerous, said Dr Anas.

Consuming too much nitrogen vapour from drinks and food can also trigger breathing difficulties, he said.

If consumed before the liquid nitrogen has evaporated, intestinal burns and perforations can occur and, in severe cases, may even lead to death, Dr Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian doctor, told British daily the Guardian.