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LIQUID NITROGEN
Also called Molecular Ice Cream
A Great Innovation in the World of Ice Cream
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When you hear the words liquid nitrogen, your mind instantly starts to think of a scientific laboratory. However, today, chefs and entrepreneurs are introducing liquid nitrogen into a place known to everyone, the kitchen. This element with curious characteristics that is also a natural resource, is used in various sources of income such as cocktails, popcorn and even desserts; especially cold desserts. In the area of ice cream, this concept of making ice cream using liquid nitrogen has not only emerged in places like Europe, the United States, but also in Latin America and is considered one of the new trends in the food industry.
As incredible as this innovation may seem, it is a very simple concept. It involves using liquid nitrogen to freeze the ice cream base, creating a smooth, creamy final product that can be instantly customized to the customer's taste. Liquid nitrogen is a colorless and odorless version of nitrogen gas, which because of its cold temperature can exist in liquid form. When combined with an ice cream base, it acts as a freezing agent in just a few seconds, creating a smoother ice cream than if other traditional production methods were used. Its texture is due to the rapid way in which it freezes, since the faster the ice cream is frozen, the smaller the ice crystals will be.
Businesses that use this product not only provide something different but also a spectacle for the customer. Imagine ordering ice cream in a place where the design is modern, all the production equipment is exposed and the surroundings are filled with smoke, all of this provides the feeling of a futuristic and scientific environment.
Ice cream shops that have opted to use liquid nitrogen are emerging in the United States and Latin America. In 2012 in Florida, USA, Chill-N began to use the concept and took it to the scientific side by offering a menu based on the periodic table offering many flavors and combinations. Businesses have been popping up all over the world including international franchises that have opened branches.
This new trend of using liquid nitrogen is gaining strength and is growing both nationally and worldwide, and is proving to be a viable business even though at the time of production it requires more labor. With an innovative air, natural composition and infinite flavor combinations, it is a concept that is being taken into account, but...
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The dangers of ingesting liquid nitrogen
How harmful is it?
Peter Barham, a professor at the University of Bristol's School of Physics, says liquid nitrogen is "simply the least harmful nitrogen gas, cooled to such low temperatures that it becomes a liquid."
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However, because it is in a liquid state, Barham adds, it is extremely cold and can cause frostbite or cryogenic burns if not used correctly.
Those who work in a laboratory are at risk of suffocation if liquid nitrogen (which is colorless, odorless and tasteless) is used or spilled in an enclosed space. In 1999, for example, laboratory technician James Graham died of asphyxiation.
Furthermore, liquid nitrogen expands greatly when evaporated. One litre of liquid nitrogen can result in 700 litres of gas, so only a small volume of liquid nitrogen needs to evaporate in a closed room for oxygen deficiency to occur in the atmosphere.
Is it worth the risk?
In the kitchen, its use is not a problem as long as the necessary safety measures are taken, says Barnham.
"If liquid nitrogen is added to another liquid such as ice cream, it will cool it faster as the boiling point decreases and produce a cloud of vapour."
"The technique is used by some restaurants to prepare ice cream at the table. By freezing it so quickly, tiny ice crystals are produced in the mixture which gives it a really smooth texture," says Barham.
However, just as no one would drink boiling water or pour it on themselves, no one should ingest liquid nitrogen, he adds.
It is also important that all the liquid is evaporated from food or drink prepared with liquid nitrogen before it is consumed.
John Emsley, science writer and fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry says that if more than a small amount of liquid nitrogen is consumed, the result could be fatal.
"If you take more than a few drops of liquid nitrogen, it will freeze, turning solid and brittle like glass. Imagine if that happens inside the food pipe of the stomach."
"The liquid also quickly picks up heat, boils and turns into gas; this could cause damage such as punctures or even bursting the stomach," Emsley adds.
However, he says he would be surprised if anyone could ingest that much liquid nitrogen.
"It would feel extremely cold in your mouth, and you would want to spit it out immediately," he says.
In contrast, Alex Valavanis, a researcher at the Microwave and Photonics Institute at the University of Leeds, believes it is feasible that a person could swallow a mouthful before noticing any ill effects, as liquid nitrogen "does not feel immediately cold."
The researcher argues that the delay in the sensation of cold is due to the "Leidenfrost effect", which occurs when a liquid comes into contact with a mass warmer than the boiling point of the liquid, producing a layer of insulating vapor.
But he agrees that a mouthful of liquid nitrogen, equivalent to about 25 litres of gas, could cause "catastrophic damage".
The consequences
Emsley thinks the liquid gas is safe in the hands of top chefs and can also be safely used by a bartender to create sensational effects, but he says there needs to be a "strong warning not to mess around with it".
"It may be a novelty in the hands of experts, but it would be something very different in the hands of the general public".
"If a few drops fall on your fingers, it will immediately boil and the skin will peel off; the finger will probably not suffer as much damage".
"But if you dip your finger in liquid nitrogen, it will turn into a solid rock and fall off", Emsley says.
- https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19870668#:~:text=%22The%20liquid%20also%20quickly%20picks,to%20burst%2C%22%20he%20says.
