Paqui, the maker of extremely spicy tortilla chips marketed as the “One Chip Challenge,” is voluntarily pulling the product from shelves after a woman said her teenage son died of complications from consuming a single chip.

The chips were sold individually, and their seasoning included two of the hottest peppers in the world: the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper.

Each chip was packaged in a coffin-shaped container with a skull on the front.

Lois Wolobah told NBC Boston that her 14-year-old son, Harris Wolobah, ate the chip Friday, then went to the school nurse with a stomachache. Wolobah said Harris — a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, Massachusetts — passed out at home that afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day, she said.

Until sales of the product were suspended, Paqui’s marketing dared people to participate in the challenge by eating a chip, posting pictures of their tongues on social media after the chip turned it blue and then waiting as long as possible to relieve the burn with water or other food.

The challenge has existed in some form since 2016.

  • dethb0y@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I think that tens of thousands of people have done it and this is the first fatality says that it was something unique about the victim, rather than the chip.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Please see @WHYAREWEALLCAPS’ repost of the NYT article below. This is the first fatality, but not the first hospitalization of a child.

      • dethb0y@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yeah lots of parents love to waste the ER’s time and staff with their kids petty complaints, doesn’t mean the product’s dangerous to any but a microscopic number of people.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          In a 2020 study, researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center detailed the “serious complications” that can result from eating the Carolina Reaper pepper, noting that a 15-year-old boy had suffered an acute cerebellar stroke two days after eating one on a dare. The Carolina Reaper has been measured at more than two million Scoville heat units, the scale used to measure how hot peppers are. The Naga Viper has been measured at just under 1.4 million Scoville units. Jalapeño peppers are typically rated at between 2,000 and 8,000 units.

          This is hotter than that. It’s not a safe product. I have no idea why you think it is.

            • glimse@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Just because it’s the consumer’s fault doesn’t mean a hot chip that can send you to the hospital should be on store shelves lol

              I don’t think the mom has any right to sue, though

                • glimse@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Because a parent can’t sue when their kid with peanut allergies eats a bag of candy that says WARNING: CONTAINS PEANUTS and dies. There’s lots of warning labels on the chip container

                  This is just my opinion, I’m not a lawyer

                  • jennwiththesea@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    I think the difference is that this is a fairly unknown risk, whereas allergies are known, diagnosed, and we have labeling requirements (in the US, at least) to protect people from accidentally ingesting an allergen. With an unknown ingredient like this, IMO the onus is on the company selling it to make sure it’s safe. This isn’t necessarily an allergic response that kids are having. It sounds like something else entirely.

              • Shalakushka@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                Should alcohol be illegal for everyone because it harms children? That’s the case you are basically making.

                • glimse@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  That’s the example you want to give in support of your argument that this chip should be within reach of kids? A highly-regulated product that can only be purchased by adults?

                  And where did I say it should be illegal? I said it doesn’t need to be on shelves and even implied they did nothing wrong legally (the mom shouldn’t be able to sue)

                  What exactly are you defending here?

                  • Shalakushka@kbin.social
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                    1 year ago

                    Literally any food can send you to the hospital. Taking it off of shelves because one person had a reaction is an overreaction.

            • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              When you’re dealing with a child it’s never their fault. Kids do stupid shit.

          • gamer@lemm.ee
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            This is hotter than that. It’s not a safe product. I have no idea why you think it is.

            I’m not saying it is or isn’t safe, but this seems completely arbitrary. Why are you so sure that over 2 million scoville units is unsafe? There are some pepper spray brands that are in the 5 million+ range.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              Did you read the pasted article? That’s why. And I wouldn’t suggest anyone ingest pepper spray, so that’s a weird comparison.

          • bufordt@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Way more people have strokes after chiropractic neck adjustments and dental surgery. When are we banning those?

              • bufordt@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                How does that relate to my comment? We don’t have an official cause of death on this guy. We just have the mother claiming it was from the chip. The paper claiming the kid had a stroke 2 days after eating a hot chip seems very questionable.

                We have lots of people who have gone to the ER after being in intense pain from eating something that causes intense pain. No evidence presented that they were actually in danger.

                Chiropractors and dentists are well documented for causing strokes after neck adjustments and surgeries. There’s even a good explanation for why, in that they can both cause tears in the neck blood vessels and arteries resulting in blood clots that can very quickly get to the brain.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                  a 15-year-old boy had suffered an acute cerebellar stroke two days after eating one on a dare.

                  No actual danger?

                  • bufordt@sh.itjust.works
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                    1 year ago

                    First, he didn’t have a stroke. Second, he had issues that arose during football practice 2 days later. Give me a break.

    • sock@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      woah be careful you’re about to dismantle the whole anti vax argument if you keep talking like that