VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) —
Dragon’s Breath is the latest fad. It’s a sweet treat, mostly sold at mall kiosks that can make you breathe like a dragon.
The snack can be found at kiosks at local malls. The fruity cereal puffs are soaked in liquid nitrogen. After they dry for a few minutes, the puffs are placed in a cup and are ready for you to enjoy.
But the liquid nitrogen coated puff balls are hitting a sour note with the FDA.
The Food and Drug Administration advises people to avoid eating, drinking, or handling food products prepared with liquid nitrogen. On its website, it explains the products are marketed under names including Dragon’s Breath, Heaven’s Breath, and Nitro Puff.
“I have four kids of my own and I’m not really sure I would be very excited about them ingesting nitrogen,” explained Dr. Michael Kelley
Kelley is the Sentara Regional Medical Director on the Peninsula. He said the liquid nitrogen in this treat is the often used to burn off skin for warts or moles. He said the liquid nitrogen used in Dragon’s Breath could be around -325 degrees Fahrenheit
“If you can imagine, putting something that is more than -320 degrees in your mouth can cause things like burns, and burning the inside of your mouth is a bad idea, burning the inside of your esophagus is a really bad idea,” explained Dr. Kelley.
People have had issues after eating the desert. According to Greenville News in South Carolina, a man is suing a mall manager, property owner, the Dragon Breath business owner and two other people after he says he experienced extreme pain and his mouth filled with blood after eating the snack. The newspaper said the lawsuit said the man went to the doctor who told him the injury was a result from a burn from food.
He isn’t the only one. A mother posted on social media to raise her concerns. Her Facebook post said the snack triggered a massive asthma attack for her son and he ended up in the hospital.
“The risk of it happening, even if it is pretty small... the benefit of breathing out fog may not justify it,” said Dr. Kelley.
Local parents in Hampton Roads are chiming in on the snack.
“It looks enticing, it looks interesting, but I mean everything that looks cool you shouldn’t necessarily do,” said Erica Booth-Greene.
Booth-Greene said her kids would not be allowed to breathe like a dragon, no matter how cool it may look.
“That going into your lungs. I mean it just doesn’t sound safe or healthy for you,” said Booth-Greene.
Dr. Kelley says if you want to try it, go ahead, but his advice is not to try it.
“I wouldn’t recommend having kids take in liquid nitrogen,” he said.
13News Now reached out to the owner of Dragon’s Breath at Lynnhaven Mall to see if he could share his opinion. We also reached out to the restaurant association. Neither organization has responded.
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