The company behind the viral 'One Chip Challenge' has announced that it is pulling the spicy snack from shelves.
This decision comes days after a teenager died after allegedly taking part in the challenge.
Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, became the center of a national debate over the risks of viral social media challenges after he was found unresponsive after taking part in the trend.
Per NBC 10 Boston, Wolobah's family claims that, after consuming the extremely spicy chip at school, Harris quickly developed a stomach ache and his mother was called to come and pick up her son. Although Harris initially felt better after coming home, he was later found unconscious as he was preparing for basketball tryouts.
He was shortly pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Harris was just 14 when he passed away. Credit: GoFundMeWhile an autopsy is pending to confirm the official cause of death, Harris' family attributes his untimely demise to the spicy chip. A GoFundMe page set up for funeral expenses reads: "Harris passed away unexpectedly at the age of 14 from what we suspect to be complications due to the 'one chip challenge' (autopsy pending)."
In response, Paqui - the company behind the spicy chip - has taken action.
"The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting the chip is not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food allergies, is pregnant or has underlying health conditions," the company says in a new statement at the top of its website.
The statement adds: "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 from shelves.
"We are also offering refunds on our single-serve One Chip Challenge product."
The company provides warnings on its website about the potential adverse medical effects of the chip, which contains extremely spicy ingredients like the Carolina Reaper Pepper and the Naga Viper Pepper.
The warnings as listed on the Paqui 'One Chip Challenge' website. Credit: PaquiPaqui explicitly advises that only adults should attempt this challenge and recommends seeking medical assistance for severe symptoms.
The Worcester public school community and the family of Harris Wolobah are grieving the sudden loss. "My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him," said Worcester Schools Superintendent Rachel Monarrez.
Although the One Chip Challenge has become incredibly popular on social media - with the hashtag #OneChipChallenge driving over 2 billion views on Tiktok - experts have shared their concerns over the consumption of intensely spicy products.
Dr. Lauren Rice, Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, has warned that they can result in a range of issues from mouth burns to severe heart conditions.
"Sometimes, we see people with a lot of chest pain, or they’ll experience palpitations, as well," Rice told WCVB.
This isn't the first time that the One Chip Challenge has led to concerning incidents.
Credit: MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty ImagesLast year, one high schooler shared a video to social media showing her in the hospital after attempting the One Chip Challenge. The New York Post states that she was bet $50 to eat the Paqui chip, and that it took several hours for medications to ease her stomach pain.
Fox9 also reported last October that paramedics had to be sent to a middle school in order to attend to several students who complained of having "difficulty breathing and eye pain", according to an email sent by the school to parents.
The Wolobah family is planning to lay Harris to rest in the coming weeks and has so far raised over $32,000 through GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses.
Our thoughts continue to go out to Harris' family and loved ones at this difficult time.
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