US Boy Dies After Eating Spicy Snack... Manufacturer Announces Product Sales Suspension

Manufacturer: "Challenge is intended for adults only"

A 14-year-old boy in the United States who took on the 'spicy snack eating challenge' died, and six days later, the manufacturer stopped selling the product.

On the 8th (local time), according to foreign media such as CNN and AP, Paqui, the manufacturer of 'One Chip,' announced that it had voluntarily requested retailers to stop selling the product the day before.

Snack 'One Chip' used in the 'Spicy Snack Eating Challenge'
[Image source=Paki homepage]

Through a notice posted on its official website, Paqui stated, "The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only and is not for children, people sensitive to spicy foods, those with food allergies, pregnant women, or people with underlying health conditions." It added, "As the number of teenagers ignoring these warnings is increasing, we are working with retailers to remove the product from shelves." Paqui also announced that it would provide refunds for already purchased One Chip Challenge products.

The controversial snack 'One Chip' is a spicy tortilla chip containing two types of chili peppers, including the Carolina Reaper pepper, known as the world's hottest chili pepper. According to Paqui, the Scoville Heat Unit (SHU, a measure of capsaicin concentration) of the Carolina Reaper pepper is 1.7 million, which is more than 400 times the highest level of Cheongyang chili pepper (4,000 to 10,000 SHU).

Earlier, on the 1st, Harris Woloba (14), who lived in Massachusetts, USA, challenged the spicy snack eating called the 'One Chip Challenge' at school and suffered from abdominal pain before dying that afternoon.

On the day of his death, Harris complained of severe abdominal pain after eating a One Chip given by a classmate at school. He left school early with his parents who came after being contacted, rested at home, and seemed to stabilize for a while, but a few hours later, he suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed while leaving the house. Harris was immediately transported to a nearby hospital but ultimately passed away.

The bereaved family claims that Harris died due to the One Chip Challenge. Harris's mother said, "After my son visited the infirmary, he should have been sent to the hospital, not home," and added, "I hope others become aware of the dangers of the One Chip Challenge so that such tragedies do not happen again."

The One Chip Challenge involves eating a One Chip and enduring without drinking water or any beverages afterward. It has become a huge sensation as many YouTubers worldwide, including in the United States and South Korea, have taken on the challenge.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.