Spicy ‘One Chip Challenge’ chips removed from store shelves after 14-year-old’s death
The company behind the “One Chip Challenge” is removing its extremely spicy products from store shelves following a teenager’s death.
“The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting the chip is not for children,” Paqui wrote in a statement.
“We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings,” they added. “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 from shelves.”
Paqui issued the statement days after Harris Wolobah, 14, died shortly after attempting the challenge at his high school in Worcester, Mass.
Wolobah ate one of the chips at school and was taken to the nurse’s office. He was sent home from there, but fainted at his house and was rushed to a local hospital. Wolobah’s cause of death has not yet been determined, but his family suspected the chip was to blame.
The One Chip Challenge began in 2016, as Paqui marketed their products as being infused with the “spiciest pepper in the world,” the Carolina Reaper. Unlike most snacks, Paqui chips are sold in one-chip packs.
Wolobah was the first person to die hours after eating the chip, but he was not the first to experience serious medical issues. Three kids at a California high school were hospitalized in January 2022 after trying the challenge.
