Massachusetts teen experiences cardiac arrest after eating extremely spicy chip in viral challenge, report says
A tragic incident occurred when a Massachusetts teenager lost his life due to cardiac arrest after participating in a challenge involving consuming what was believed to be one of the spiciest crisps in the world.
Fourteen-year-old Harris Wolobah, hailing from Worcester, passed away on 1 September last year after consuming a Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s One Chip Challenge.
This challenge, which gained popularity on social media platforms, required individuals to eat what was considered one of the spiciest tortilla chips globally and endure the intense heat for as long as possible without consuming anything for relief.
The chip came individually packaged and was made from two of the hottest chili peppers in the world – the Carolina Reaper and Scorpion, as mentioned on Paqui’s website.
An autopsy revealed that the teenager’s cause of death was a cardiac arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of a food item with high capsaicin concentration,” with capsaicin being the substance responsible for the heat in chili peppers.
Paqui has discontinued the One Chip Challenge after multiple reports of children being hospitalised. Pic: AP
Furthermore, it was discovered by the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner that Harris had an enlarged heart and myocardial bridging, a condition where a major artery runs inside the heart muscle rather than on its surface.
Following the release of the autopsy results, Paqui expressed deep sorrow over the teen’s passing and offered condolences to his family and friends.
The company, based in Texas, made the decision to cease the sale of the spicy chip due to this incident and several others where teenagers were hospitalized after consuming it.
“Although the product met food safety standards, as a precautionary measure, we collaborated with retailers to voluntarily withdraw the product from the shelves in September 2023, leading to the discontinuation of the One Chip Challenge,” they stated.
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Harris’s mother Lois Walobah recounted to NBC10 Boston that she was summoned to the school by a nurse after her son informed him that a classmate had given him the chip, resulting in a severe stomach ache.
They returned home, but later that day, his brother alerted them that Harris had collapsed, she narrated.
He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared deceased.
