‘One Chip Challenge’ suspected in death of teen, chips being pulled from shelves
A single tortilla chip, made using some of the hottest peppers in the world, is implicated in the death of a 14-year-old boy — Harris Wolobah — in Massachusetts.
Paqui, a subsidiary of the Hershey company based in Texas, created and sold the chips in single coffin-shaped containers. They promoted the “One Chip Challenge,” which involves seeing how long a person can go without eating or drinking after eating the hot pepper chip. The challenge went viral online and there are many videos showing people as they attempt to eat the chip.
Wolobah’s death came the day he participated in the “One Chip Challenge.” His family believes it was a result of eating the chip. Local police confirmed to ABC that his death was under investigation.
How hot is hot?
According to Paqui’s frequently asked questions, the chip is seasoned with the Carolina Reaper Pepper and Naga Viper Pepper. The site also said the peppers are “among the hottest peppers currently available,” with the Carolina Reaper Pepper at roughly 1.7 million Scoville Units and the Naga Viper Pepper at roughly 1.4 million Scoville Units, a unit used to measure the heat of peppers. A jalapeño registers between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville Units.
Paqui’s chip packaging carried a warning that the product was intended for adults only and to keep away from children.
“Do not eat if you are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades or capsaicin, or are pregnant or have any medical conditions,” the label reads. “After touching the chip, wash your hands with soap and do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas.”
“Seek medical assistance if you experience difficulty breathing, fainting or extended nausea.”
‘Voluntary retrieval’
Paqui has begun the process of removing the chips from stores and offering refunds for people who have already purchased chips. Kim Metcalfe, a spokeswoman for Paqui, emphasized to The New York Times that the removal of the chip was not a “recall” but rather a “voluntary retrieval.”
Prominently featured on their homepage, the company statement reads in part: “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product.”
Metcalfe also said that the company was “deeply saddened” by Harris’s death and “express our condolences to the family.”
The Associated Press reports that three students from a California high school were sent to a hospital and paramedics were called to a Minnesota school last year when seven students fell ill after taking part in the challenge.
One of Wolobah’s basketball coaches, Douglas Hill, told a Boston NBC affiliate that he was stunned to learn one of his star players had died.
“The first thing was shock, like when they said the name, I had to literally ask a hundred times, like if this was him,” Hill said. “Very quiet kid when you first meet him not a child of many words, smiled, very positive. In a million years, you never would’ve imagined any kid nevertheless Harris, so it was definitely difficult.”
The AP reported Hill saying, “The chip is responsible in our eyes for whatever took place because he was a healthy kid.”
