A shock news! A teenager has had her stomach removed after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen. So what exactly is liquid nitrogen, how is it used, and how careful do you need to be with it?
Liquid nitrogen, which has a boiling point of -196C, is used for a variety of things, such as a coolant for computers, in medicine to remove unwanted skin, warts and pre-cancerous cells, and in cryogenics, where scientists study the effect of very cold temperatures on materials.
It has also become increasingly common at top restaurants as a method for instantly freezing food and drinks, or creating an impressive cloud of vapour or fog when exposed to air. That is food grade nitrogen.
The avant-garde cooking technique was arguably made famous by chef Heston Blumenthal, who put nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice-cream and nitro-poached aperitifs on the menu at his Berkshire restaurant, The Fat Duck.
