Paqui, the maker of extremely spicy tortilla chips marketed as the “One Chip Challenge,” is voluntarily pulling the product from shelves after a woman said her teenage son died of complications from consuming a single chip.
The chips were sold individually, and their seasoning included two of the hottest peppers in the world: the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper.
Each chip was packaged in a coffin-shaped container with a skull on the front.
Lois Wolobah told NBC Boston that her 14-year-old son, Harris Wolobah, ate the chip Friday, then went to the school nurse with a stomachache. Wolobah said Harris — a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, Massachusetts — passed out at home that afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day, she said.
Until sales of the product were suspended, Paqui’s marketing dared people to participate in the challenge by eating a chip, posting pictures of their tongues on social media after the chip turned it blue and then waiting as long as possible to relieve the burn with water or other food.
The challenge has existed in some form since 2016.
Literally any food can send you to the hospital. Taking it off of shelves because one person had a reaction is an overreaction.
I don’t get why you think this is such a pearl clutching opinion when you yourself compared it to alcohol. I guess I just don’t understand what stance you’re taking. Do YOU think minors should be able to buy booze?
No, I think adults should be able to buy booze and children shouldn’t. We should not have to modify the options available to adults to suit children. Your logic is that no R rated movies should exist because they are not suitable for one section of society (children). When I point the absurdity of that logic out, you accuse me of wanting children to be able to drink alcohol (???). My logic is that it’s stupid to ban something for everyone because one person had a reaction.
I think you misinterpreted my point, that is…not the I used at all. I never once claimed that any of those things - chip included - should be outright banned.
YOU drew the comparison to alcohol, I was applying YOUR logic for chip accessibility (lol sounds like we’re talking tech) to it.
Now you’ve added R rated movies so…where they check for ID and don’t let unaccompanied kids in. You’ve been arguing my point the whole time…that maybe there are things kids shouldn’t be able to buy for themselves…
You said it shouldn’t be on shelves, what do you think that means???
It KNOW it means I think they shouldn’t be on a shelf where a kid can grab it and ring up at self checkout. I’m talking grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. I have no problem with it being sold at adult-focused stores like liquor stores, head shops, etc. Or ya know, it’s 2023…lots of products like this sold exclusively on the Internet.
Less-damaging products have been outright banned before and I’m not advocating for the same for this, just that it shouldn’t be so easy for children to get their hands on.