Watch: 'Mouth Freshener' Mixup In Gurugram Cafe Leaves 5 Hospitalised

Often diners prefer mouth fresheners after a good satisfying meal to lift up their spirits. In India, 'mukhwas' is considered a must after a wholesome heavy meal. But how does a mouth freshener turn deadly? Five adults experienced a nightmare at a Gurugram eatery as they suffered from extreme mouth burns and ended up vomiting all because of a mix-up that occurred in a mouth freshener. The group, which included Ankit Kumar and his wife along with some friends, reportedly consumed what they were told was mouth freshener after their meal on March 2 resulting in them being hospitalised for two days. 

How A Mixup In 'Mouth Freshener' In Gurugram Cafe Left 5 Hospitalised

According to news reports, the mistaken offering turned out to be dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide. Diners quickly experienced a burning sensation in their mouths and began vomiting, with some reports indicating they even vomited blood. Videos taken by Kumar at the Laforestta Cafe in Sector 90 captured the aftermath of the incident, showing the distressed patrons in pain.

“We don’t know what they’ve mixed in [the mouth freshener],” Kumar said according to NDTV. “Everyone here is vomiting. They have cuts on their tongues. Their mouths are burning.”

Medical professionals believe the substance was indeed dry ice, which can cause serious harm if ingested. Police are investigating the incident and have registered a case against the cafe owner based on the group’s complaint. Two of the five people are reportedly in critical condition.

Ankit Kumar who did not eat the mouth freshener as he was holding his one-year-old daughter has now filed an FIR in Kherki Daula police station against the owner of the Laforresta Cafe and the waiter who supplied them granules of dry ice mistaking them to be 'mouth freshener'. The cafe owner and the manager have accepted their fault for staff negligence.

The doctors treating the patients also claimed that they had chemical poisoning after consuming the lethal substance served to them by the waiter at the restaurant. 

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated, "With a surface temperature of -78.5 degrees Celsius, dry ice can cause severe frostbite and skin burns if touched without protective gloves" They also added: "Dry ice doesn’t melt into liquid when heated and instead changes into gas, which can cause fatalities in confined spaces and explosions in sealed containers."

The statement also clarified, "If not handled properly it may endanger human health, as it sublimes into large quantities of carbon dioxide gas which could pose a danger of breathlessness (hypercapnia)." 

The police have now registered a case under IPC sections of causing hurt by poisoning and criminal conspiracy against the waiter and the owner of the eatery. 

This incident highlights the importance of proper training and clear labelling in restaurants. Dry ice, while commonly used for refrigeration purposes, can be mistaken for a food product due to its visual similarity to some candies or mints. 

Here's the video that has now surfaced on the internet

Five people have been hospitalized after eating Mouth Freshner at a Gurugram Restaurant 😱 pic.twitter.com/gsFFiAxVy1

— Rosy (@rose_k01) March 4, 2024