After a 14-year-old boy who consumed it for a social media challenge died, a tortilla chip maker is removing its extremely spicy One Chip Challenge chip off shelves.
The single-serve chip that Paqui offered for sale was packaged in plastic that resembled a coffin and was foil-wrapped. The Associated Press said that consumers were urged to wait as long as possible before drinking or eating anything else, eat the entire chip, record their reaction on social media, then finish the full chip.
Massachusetts authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding Harris Wolobah’s death on September 1, but his family believes the chip was to blame.
Douglas Hill, who runs the basketball league that Wolobah played in, told the Associated Press: “The chip is responsible in our eyes for whatever took place because he was a healthy kid.”
The One Chip Challenge is “intended for adult consumption,” according to Paqui’s website, and should be kept out of children’s reach.
“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.”
According to the manufacturer, the chip comprises two of the spiciest peppers currently on the market, the Naga Viper and Carolina Reaper.
Paqui, as well as its parent firms Amplify Snacks and The Hershey Company, have been contacted by Insider for comment.
According to a Hershey spokesman, corporate representatives “are deeply saddened by the news report and express our condolences to the family.”
