On social media, kids (and many adults) often challenge each other to try super-spicy foods, enduring the spiciness until their noses run and their eyes water. But Danish authorities have warned that some of the spiciest ramen noodles popular in these videos pose health risks, recently recalling three varieties of instant ramen for being too high in capsaicin.
Danish authorities have removed Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew made by the South Korean brand Samyang from store shelves and urged buyers to throw them in the trash or return them to stores. Authorities warned that the products contain more spices than the chips that have reportedly made children sick in Germany.
It's unclear whether these chips are the same ones a Massachusetts teenager ate while participating in the popular “One Chip Challenge” at school and died from. An autopsy later revealed that the boy died of a heart attack caused by “high levels of capsaicin ingestion” and that he had underlying heart conditions. Paki, the manufacturer of the chips, which came in a coffin-shaped box, quickly stopped producing them.
In a statement accompanying the recall, Danish regulators said children and “frail adults” were particularly susceptible, and symptoms of capsaicin poisoning could include “a burning sensation or discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure.”
The ramen ban was sparked by consumers who wondered why the product was legal. “The DTU Food Laboratory is currently evaluating the product and has come to the conclusion that packets of noodles are harmful to health,” the statement read. People who have already eaten the product and haven't had a bad reaction to it should be fine, they said. But officials urged anyone with symptoms to contact a poison control center.
Samyang did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The company told the BBC: “We understand that the Danish food authorities recalled the product because it was too spicy, not due to a quality issue.”
Spicy food eating challenges have been around for decades but their growing popularity online, particularly among young people who may be more susceptible to side effects, has raised concerns from health authorities and parents.
There have been other reports of U.S. children falling ill from Pakichips, with symptoms including vomiting, itchy eyes and difficulty breathing. Late last year, Czech authorities halted domestic production of a similar chip product that was sold with rubber gloves for handling.
