The company responsible for the viral “One Chip Challenge” is pulling the product from its shelves after Michigan teen Harris Wolobah died hours after eating the chip.
Paqui, owner of the extremely spicy chip, has posted a statement at the top of his website making it clear that the “challenge” is “adults only.”
The warning highlights “clear and prominent labeling” that specifies “the chip is not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods.”
Paqui even offers refunds to those who have already purchased the chip challenge.
Paqui is currently working with retailers to get the chips off the shelves.
According to NBC Boston, Harris Wolobah died the same day he took part in the ‘One Chip Challenge’. He reported abdominal pain at school after eating the chip, but later collapsed and was found unconscious at his home.
The 2023 edition of the “One Chip Challenges” features a tortilla chip flavored with two of the spiciest peppers possible: the California Reaper Pepper and the Naga Viper Pepper. The California Reaper is ranked as the world’s spiciest pepper
Harris Wolobah, 14, died hours after eating a spicy tortilla chip as part of the “One Chip Challenge,” a social media trend that has gained billions of views on TikTok. The Massachusetts teen was a talented athlete who was described by the family as “a light that lit up the room”
On September 1, the boy’s mother was called to his school when Harris complained of abdominal pain. He had eaten the dangerously spicy chip after receiving it from a classmate.
The young teen felt better after going home, but he passed out at 4:30 p.m. as he was about to leave for basketball practices.
Talking to the Worcester telegramPolice Lieutenant Sean Murtha said the boy was unresponsive and not breathing. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. Wobolah’s official cause of death is not yet known.
While Harris’s death marks the first fatality after eating the chips, many other children required medical attention after eating them.
In October 2022, a school district in Lafayette, Louisiana forbidden the chips from all campuses after several students required medical attention.
Less than a month later, the paramedics arrived called to a high school in Dunwood, Georgia, prompting police to issue a warning about the snack.
The ‘One Chip Challenge’ is a marketing campaign based around one tortilla chip that is touted as the spiciest in the world.
The challenge has attracted many followers on social media, with the ‘#onechipchallenge’ tag having been viewed over two billion times on TikTok.
The chip, manufactured by Paqui since 2016, is the product of Texas-based Amplify Snack Brands, which was acquired by The Hershey Company in 2017.
It is unclear what Paqui plans for the future of the product, which he says meets food safety standards.
The company noted an increase in the number of minors participating in the challenge, despite the warning label on the packaging. However, there is no rule or regulation that prevents a minor from taking the challenge at a local store.
A new flavor of the hot, hot chip is released every year, and the 2023 edition will be available on Amazon from August 9. While fewer than ten ingredients are listed, two that stand out the most are the California Reaper Pepper and Naga Viper Pepper.
The California Reaper Pepper was officially declared the hottest pepper in the world, with a capacity of no less than 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) on the Scoville scale. The Naga Viper Pepper came in just short with 1,382,118 SHUs.
The scale measures the strength of different peppers relative to capsaicin, the substance that gives chili peppers their heat. Pure capsaicin measures 16 million Scoville units.
The single chip comes in a coffin-shaped box with a red skull on it.
a warning Theon the promotional site reads: ‘Keep out of the reach of children. Intended for consumption by adults.’
The page encourages people to seek medical attention if they experience complications such as difficulty breathing, fainting or “prolonged nausea.”
Paqui ran an ad campaign challenging people to test whether they can tolerate the pain.
An image on the site reads, “How long can you hold out before spiraling?” and shows an image of the Grim Reaper holding a snake.
Those who cannot eat or drink anything for an hour to counteract the heat are considered an ‘Apex Predator’.