A lawsuit was filed on Thursday concerning the tragic death of Harris Wolobah, a Massachusetts teenager who passed away on September 1, 2023, after participating in a spicy tortilla chip challenge promoted on social media.
Harris Wolobah, a sophomore from Worcester, died after consuming a Paqui chip as part of the company’s notorious "One Chip Challenge."
The autopsy report, issued by the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner, attributed his death to cardiopulmonary arrest exacerbated by ingesting a significant amount of chile pepper extract, CBS reports.
It also revealed that Harris had underlying health issues, including an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) and a congenital heart defect known as myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.
The manufacturer, Paqui, a subsidiary of the Hershey Co. based in Texas, expressed condolences over Wolobah’s death while highlighting the chip's clear warning labels.
In a statement, Paqui said: "We were and remain deeply saddened by the death of Harris Wolobah and extend our condolences to his family and friends. Paqui's One Chip Challenge was intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or has underlying health conditions.
"We saw increased reports of teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. As a result, while the product adhered to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we worked with retailers to voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023 and discontinued the One Chip Challenge."
Sold individually for approximately $10, the Paqui chip was packaged in a coffin-shaped box with conspicuous warnings that it was not suitable for children or individuals sensitive to spicy foods, or those with underlying health conditions.
Despite these warnings, reports surfaced nationwide of adolescents falling ill after participating in the challenge.
In California, three high school students were hospitalized, while in Minnesota, seven students required paramedic attention after partaking in the challenge in 2022.
The challenge itself encouraged participants to endure the intense heat of the chip without consuming any food or water, with videos of these attempts widely shared on social media platforms.
Harris Wolobah’s death prompted Massachusetts authorities and medical professionals to issue warnings about the potential dangers of consuming such high-concentration spicy foods. Poison control centers cautioned that reactions to the chip could include allergic responses, respiratory distress, irregular heart rhythms, and even heart attacks or strokes.
The lawsuit filed seeks to address the circumstances surrounding Harris Wolobah’s death, highlighting concerns about the adequacy of warning labels and the accessibility of the chips to minors despite their intended adult audience.