Dry Ice in Food Deliveries
When a regular business operation comes across something new, could be a new ingredient, a new brand of ingredient, a new brand or type of packaging, and so on, it must try to do some homework before making it a part of its routine.
This one’s for restaurants and small eateries that use dry ice. Especially when they have delivery orders for stuff like yoghurts and ice-creams.
Clearly, many of them do not understand the dangers of dry ice.
Earlier this year, there was a scary incident in Gurgaon where a restaurant served something containing dry ice as a mouth freshner to patrons, who threw up blood shortly after.
That’s what dry ice does.
As a kid, I was once at a party where I first came across dry ice. Presuming it to be ice, I picked up a piece. It took a few seconds to feel an unbearable burn in the fingers, before I dropped it.
A while back, a good ice-cream brand that I ordered from, had pieces of dry ice placed over their paper tubs. That was still alright. Because I think they had little messages on the bag cautioning users about the dry ice.
However, more recently, with an ice-cream delivery from another brand, the delivery chap handed me the brown paper bag which felt cold. When I checked under it, it was frosted. Quickly placing it on the table, I opened the bag, only to find small cups of ice-cream, placed over a good helping of dry ice.
Gotta thank the ice-cream folk for being considerate of the warm weather in Bombay, and ensuring the stuff doesn’t melt before it reaches customers. But dry ice is dangerous!
Firstly, they risk the safety of the delivery person. Because at -78.5 degrees Celsius, dry ice can damage fabric and burn the skin beneath within seconds, causing frostbite. Imagine dry ice seeping through a delivery rider’s bag and onto their skin as they are riding.
I just hope relevant food and restaurant authorities have been issuing sufficient advisories and guidelines about its use and handling.
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