The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in its letter dated 11th October 2019, has requested the commissioners of Food Safety in all states and Union Territories to initiate a systematic campaign for generating awareness amongst all food business operators and citizens regarding safe and proper handling of dry ice as cooling agent for food products.
The dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide frequently used for food items like ice cream, frozen desert etc that are needed to be cold or frozen, without the use of mechanical cooling. Whereas, if it is not handled properly it may endanger the human health, as it releases large quantities of carbon dioxide gas which could pose a danger of breathlessness (hypercapnia)
Advice on Handling of Dry Ice:
FSSAI has advised that the dry ice should never be kept or stored or transported in a closed environment which may lead to breathlessness due to carbon dioxide gas emission
Dry Ice should be used/exposed to open air in a well-ventilated environment
Precaution must be taken to ensure that the area in use is properly ventilated to avoid any health risk.
Click here to read the letter
