Super-hot tortilla ‘challenge’ chip pulled from shelves after boy, 14, dies
Retailers in the UK, US and other countries have started recalling a super-hot tortilla chip after it was linked to the death of an American teenager.
Harris Wobolah, 14, died on September 1 from an unknown medical episode after eating one of the crisps, which are packaged individually and branded as the ‘One Chip Challenge’.
The cause of death remains unconfirmed as post-mortem results are still pending, but Harris’ family have blamed the product.
YouTube and Tiktok videos showing influencers attempting the ‘challenge’ have amassed millions of views
Another boy in his early teens, Jack Pedigo, has since said he experienced severe seizure-like symptoms after eating the chip.
He told CNBC he initially felt ‘fine’ after eating the ‘really spicy’ chip but then vomited and went to see his school nurse.
Jack said: ‘I was in the office and my stomach started hurting, my hands were stuck in (one) position.
‘I couldn’t move them. I could barely open them up. It felt like they weren’t even my hands.’
The district attorney for Worcester County, Massachussetts, where Harris lived, claimed ‘other states across the country have seen hospitalisations due to the chip challenge, including teens.’
The tortilla, sold in a coffin-shaped box, was marketed as containing a blend of ‘the hottest peppers available’, though it carries a warning label stating it is not for children or anyone with underlying health conditions.
The ingredients list Naga Viper and Carolina Reaper peppers, which have been certified as the first and second hottest chilli peppers in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records and were deliberately bred as hybrid varieties to achieve this feat.
They can be safely consumed and are widely included in specialist hot sauces, and the heat of a product generally depends more on the concentration of spice extracts in the recipe rather than the variety of chilli used.
Texas-based manufacturer Paqui has asked retailers to stop selling the product as a precaution and said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by Harris’ death.
In a statement, it added: ‘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 abundance of caution, we are actively working with retailers to remove the product from shelves.’
US branches of 7-Eleven have done so, while Amazon said it would remove the product from sites in Britain, Europe, the Middle East and Africa after it was contacted about the issue by BBC Newsbeat.
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