One Chip Challenge pulled from shelves following death of teenager

Yet another social media challenge has resulted in the tragic death of a young person, with the company behind by the viral ‘One Chip Challenge’ now confirming it is taking its product off US shelves.

Harris Walobah, 14, told a school nurse last week that he had bad stomach ache after eating the chip given to him by a classmate – according to his mother Lois, who shared details of the incident with NBC10 Boston.

In a description on its website, manufacturer Paqui states the chip – which comes in a coffin-shaped box – is seasoned with the Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers, with the former holding the Guinness World Record for the hottest pepper at an average of 1.5 million Scoville heat units (SHU) and up to 2.2 million SHU.

After going home, Harris reported feeling better, but his brother yelled at 4:30pm that his sibling had passed out, with Harris taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The family of the Massachusetts teenager claim he died from “complications” caused by the viral ‘One Chip Challenge’, though a post-mortem is yet to be carried out.

A GoFundMe set up to help the family with funeral expenses stands at more than $34,000 at the time of writing.

On the fundraiser, Harris’s cousin Tashia Roberts describes her relative as an “intelligent, quirky and incredibly talented young man” who “loved video games and playing basketball”.

Now, Paqui have updated their page on this year’s challenge to stress: “The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labelling highlighting the chip is not intended for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food allergies, is pregnant or has underlying health conditions.”

They continued: “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings.

“As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product from shelves.”

Meanwhile people who have already purchased the single-serve One Chip Challenge product can call a helpline for refunds.

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