One Chip Challenge
GoFundMe/WCVBPaqui pulled its infamous One Chip Challenge from the shelves following the death of 14-year-old Harris Wolobah.
Another social media challenge with deadly consequences was the One Chip Challenge. The tortilla chip brand Paqui produced and sold a single chip made with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper pepper dust, and it was advertised across America as the “world’s spiciest chip.”
The One Chip Challenge has been around and promoted by Paqui since 2016. The company sold individually-packaged chips in coffin-shaped boxes and encouraged people to film themselves eating the chip and to see how long they could go without eating or drinking anything else afterward.
The challenge, attempted by public figures like Shaquille O’Neal and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, became popular in schools. But the negative consequences were severe. A news anchor vomited off-camera after attempting the challenge, and several teens were reportedly hospitalized.
The final straw for Paqui and the One Chip Challenge came when a 14-year-old died in September 2023 after attempting the challenge.
Harris Wolobah, from Worcester, Massachusetts, ate the chip and then almost immediately began complaining of stomach pain. He later passed out at his home, and although he was taken to the hospital, it was too late to save him. Chillingly, he died just hours after eating the chip. Public outcry and Wolobah’s family’s belief that the chip contributed to his death led Paqui to pull the product from retail stores and offer refunds for those that had been purchased but not yet consumed.
“We care about all of our consumers and have made the decision to remove the product from shelves,” said Paqui spokeswoman Kim Metcalfe in a statement, according to The New York Times. “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.”
