Indonesian authorities warned of the viral TikTok trend after dozen of children suffered from stomach burns and food poisoning after eating street snacks.
What Happened: Indonesia's health ministry came to the rescue as more than 20 children were left hurt after taking part in a viral TikTok trend in which they are filmed gobbling a street snack infused with liquid nitrogen — known as "dragon's breath," reported The Guardian.
Jakarta warned of the dangers of using liquid nitrogen in pre-cooked food and urged greater caution after children suffered from problems after eating chiki ngebul or chikibulis – a rainbow assortment of candies dipped in liquid nitrogen.
On TikTok, dozens of videos with music in the background show young children with tendrils of smoke coming from their mouths as they gobbled up candies dipped in liquid nitrogen. One of the most trending videos that have racked up nearly 60,000 views showed a toddler puffing the smoke through the hole in the sweet.
The Indonesian ministry of health's director general, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, said in a statement that this could lead to skin burns and severe breathing difficulties are other potential risks.
The experts have also warned against such stunts. According to Dr. Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian doctor and researcher of global health security at Griffith University, consuming eatables before the liquid nitrogen has evaporated has the potential to cause intestinal burns and perforations. In most severe cases, it can also lead to death, Budiman warned.
Although no deaths have been reported in Indonesia, the ministry said around 25 children were hospitalized.
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