Beware of the Danger with Dry Ice – Enjoy your Baskin Robbins Ice Cream

My family is one that use to buy Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, and they offer special discount on certain days. When you buy a lot, they pack it up nicely with Dry Ice to ensure that the ice cream does not melt by the time you reach home.

When I receive this email, I must say that I am thankful that I am also one that is ignorant of the danger without realizing it. So if you are like me, who goes to buy Baskin Robbin Ice-Cream, just be aware of the danger with the dry ice, and make sure you wind down your window, on your trip home. Or if you do fetch Dry Ice for other purpose, be cautious.

This is how the internet story goes….

Remember this especially when we buy lots of ice cream during Baskin Robbins
31st day offer!!!
They normally put dry ice in your ice cream pack if you buy a lot.


A friend bought four pack of ice cream and to prevent it from melting,
the seller put the dry ice amongst the ice cream. My friend put it at
the back seat (not the back of the car) and he started to drive with the
windows closed and the air condition on (as what we all do). Soon after that,
he had difficulty to breath and it was getting worser by minutes.
Luckily, he was in a traffic jam and when he almost fainted, beside him
was an ambulance. He dragged himself to the ambulance and got the oxygen
treatment. He was getting better on the way to the hospital.

The ambulance officer drove his car to the hospital and he had the same
experience. However, before his condition worsen, he opened up the
window and he can breathe easily. Only later, when my friend has
returned to office and told his colleagues about his story, they pointed
to him that the dry ice was the problem. WHY?

Dry ice was made of CO2 and when it "melts", it becomes CO2 gas straight
away without leaving any wet mark (that is why it is called dry ice).
CO2 is easier to be tied up in our blood and thus, when the dry ice
sublimes into CO2 gas, it fills the car room with it along with the air
con circulation and caused CO2 poisoning. So, don’t put the dry ice
inside your car if you are using air condition with fully closed windows. You
must leave the windows open for such situation.

Hope this will help to prevent any fatality just from a small negligence
like this. Imagine if you have your children inside, they might be the
first victim.

Well be careful, and enjoy your ice cream.

Posted by
Ivan