Hershey-owned Paqui pulls ‘One Chip Challenge’ after teen’s death
A Hershey Company subsidiary, Paqui, is pulling its ‘One Chip Challenge’ off shelves after Massachusetts teen Harris Wolobah died after eating one earlier this month.
The Hershey Co. subsidiary Paqui is pulling its “One Chip Challenge” off shelves after a family said their teen son died after eating a chip earlier this month.
On Sept. 1, Lois Wolobah received a call from her son’s school telling her to pick him up because he was sick with stomach pains. Harris Wolobah, 14, told her one of the last things he ate was the One Chip Challenge, an intensely hot tortilla chip made with Carolina Reapers — which are considered the hottest peppers in the world. He died at a hospital about two hours later, the Boston Globe reported.
The extra-spicy tortilla chip has had a contentious history, earning criticism from medical professionals and parents. But this marks the first time someone has potentially linked it to death, according to the New York Times.
Now, the Massachusetts-based family is calling for the product to be banned.
What is the One Chip Challenge?
The One Chip Challenge is packaged in a coffin-shaped box with skull imagery and contains one singular chip. The chip’s messaging dares customers to hold out as long as possible before eating or drinking anything else.
It was popularized with the help of reaction videos circulating on social media and Hot Ones, the talk show that interviews celebrities while testing their tolerance for different hot sauces.
Amplify Snack Brands began promoting the One Chip Challenge for Paqui in 2016. They retail for about $10 per package. In 2017, Hershey purchased Amplify Snack Brands for about $1.6 billion.
The Wolobah family speaks out
Harris Wolobah’s family was waiting for an official cause of death from the Massachusetts Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy, a spokesperson told the New York Times last week. They don’t expect a determination for several weeks.
But the family is convinced the chip is behind the teen’s sudden death. They told the local CBS affiliate out of Boston, WBZ-TV, that he was a healthy basketball player with no documented allergies.
“Harris was a light that lit up the room with his presence and subtle charm,” a GoFundMe for his funeral expenses said. “He was an intelligent, quirky, and incredibly talented young man who loved video games and playing basketball.”
The teen was doubled over with stomach pains and at one point passed out, his parents have said. Pediatricians have warned parents about the challenge, which is not intended for children, causing severe stomach pains and nausea among other symptoms.
Last year, three California high school students were hospitalized after attempting the chip challenge.
Lois Wolobah told the Times that she wants parents to know the chips aren’t safe.
“It needs to be out of the market completely,” she said.
Some retailers, including 7-Eleven, proactively began removing the One Chip Challenge from shelves ahead of Paqui’s removal.
Authorities in Massachusetts are also warning parents about the challenge.
What has Paqui said about the teen’s death?
A spokesperson for Paqui told the New York Times that the company was “deeply saddened” and expressed condolences to the family.
“We care about all of our consumers and have made the decision to remove the product from shelves,” Kim Metcalfe said. “The product’s label clearly states it is not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food allergies, is pregnant, or has underlying health conditions.”
Paqui pulls chip challenge and scrubs portions of its website
After the news of Harris Wolobah’s death, Paqui said Thursday it was voluntarily pulling the One Chip Challenge from retailers.
Metcalfe said the removal isn’t a “recall,” but a “voluntary retrieval.”
Paqui posted the following statement to its website and social media platforms:
The company is also offering refunds to purchasers of the One Chip Challenge and removed a large portion of its promotional messaging about the chip online. As noted by the Times, until last Tuesday, marketing materials asked consumers how long they could last before they “spiral out” or “short circuit,” with labels ranging from “harmless” to “Apex predator” depending on how long they waited before washing down the chip.
By Wednesday, that messaging was removed. The next day, even more was scrubbed from the site save for the company’s statement, a warning label, and a shorted FAQ section.