A dangerous TikTok trend known as the ‘One Chip Challenge’ has raised concerns after a teenager died from participating in the viral challenge. The challenge involves eating an extremely spicy tortilla chip without consuming any other food or drink to alleviate the heat.
The chips, produced by Paqui, come in a coffin-shaped box and have been promoted as the spiciest tortilla chips globally. The challenge has gained popularity on TikTok, with videos showing individuals initially excited but later crying and in extreme pain after eating the chip.
Tragically, a 14-year-old American teenager named Harris Wolobah died on September 1 after attempting the challenge. His family believes that complications from the challenge led to his death.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received reports of individuals being hospitalized after participating in the challenge, prompting warnings about its potential dangers. Capsaicin, an active compound in chili peppers, can be harmful or even fatal in high doses.
Harris’s mother, Lois, revealed that he fell ill with severe stomach pain at school, was taken home, and later collapsed before being rushed to the hospital, where he passed away.
Medical experts have expressed concerns about the challenge, citing potential side effects such as vomiting, chest pains, heart attacks, and damage to the esophagus. The chips used in the 2023 edition of the challenge are flavored with the Carolina Reaper Pepper and the Naga Viper Pepper, known as some of the spiciest peppers globally.
Paqui encourages participants to endure the burning sensation for up to an hour without food or drink, earning them the title of ‘Apex Predator.’ However, it remains uncertain whether the spicy chip directly contributed to Harris’s death, pending autopsy results.
