Bizarre death of French blogger and model begs question: Are whipped cream cans dangerous?
Whipped cream can be fatal in more ways than one, and the bizarre death of a French lifestyle blogger is proof. Rebecca Burger, a 33-year-old lifestyle blogger and model from France suffered a cardiac arrest after she a whipped cream dispenser exploded and struck her chest.
An Instagram post on her account - the blogger was quite popular on the social media platform, with more than one hundred and sixty thousand followers - after her death read, “Here’s an example of the cartridge/siphon from Chantilly that exploded and struck Rebecca’s chest, killing her. Take note: the cartridge that caused her death was sealed. Do not use this type of device in your home! Tens of thousands of these appliances are still in circulation.”
A post shared by Rebecca Burger (@rebeccablikes) on
According to reports, Burger suffered cardiac arrest in her home in Galfingue after the incident and was immediately rushed to a hospital by fire-fighters, who were able to revive her heartbeat. However, by the time she reached the hospital, Burger was unconscious. She passed away the following day.
Are all whipped cream cans this dangerous?
When you whip cream by hand, the mass expands to twice the volume of the original liquid. To make it more portable, inside a can, heavy cream and nitrous oxide gas are mixed under pressure. The nitrous oxide permeates the cream, dissolving into the milk fat. So, when someone sprays a whipped cream out of a can, dissolved gas in the cream bubbles up, turning the cream into foam. The more gas in the can, the fluffier the whipped cream will be.
The problem is, sometimes, when the pin inside the can pierces the nitrous oxide canisters wrong, the gas releases faster than the cream gets expelled. And when an enormous amount of pressure gets built inside the can (and fast), it explodes.
Surprisingly, this is not even the first of its kind accident that has happened in France. According to the consumer magazine called 60 Millions, two people were gravely injured in 2014 by whipped cream canister dispensers in France. There have been other incidents as well. The injuries caused by exploding whipped cream canisters range from broken teeth to multiple fractures and, in one case, the loss of an eye. But according to the same report, new dispensers have been made since 2015 that appear to be safe.
In 2013, one victim of an exploding cream dispenser told RTL radio: "I had six broken ribs, and my sternum was broken. At the hospital, I was told that if the shock and blast had been facing the heart, I would be dead now."
Even the French economy ministry in 2014 had advised people to be cautious when using cream dispensers. But one can only assume that neither of these incidents was big enough for people to pay attention to just what kind of dangers pressurised canisters pose.
Women’s Best, a health and fitness firm, where Burger regularly modelled posted a tribute to her that read, "We are sad to have to announce the loss of this wonderful soul. Our French athlete Rebecca Burger died yesterday. Rebecca was a great athlete and a kind and generous person with whom to work. Pray for her to rest in peace and for her family to remain strong. We will always be proud of you Rebecca."