Denmark Recalls Instant Noodles for Being “Too Spicy”, Which Can Allegedly Lead to Acute Poisoning

By
Gabby Peng
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Denmark has recalled three Samyang ramen products for allegedly being too spicy and could possibly poison consumers due to the capsaicin levels in them.

Say what? Too spicy so it has to be recalled?

On 11 June, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration recalled Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew and issued warnings, urging consumers to discard the products, reported BBC.

Capsaicin, the main Ingredient that causes one to Cry while Eating

So, what happened?

The authorities had accessed the levels of capsaicin in a single packet to be “so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning,” the BBC said.

Well, for Samyang skeptics who raise eyebrows at how spicy this can be, the Danish authorities has broken it all down for you.

Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in chili peppers and is the main ingredient that gives spiciness in a food. It was said that the Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken scored a whopping 13,200 on the Scoville rating. This is a scale to measure the spiciness of chili peppers and other substances.

The agency further said that eating chillis in large quantities or consuming a product with high levels of capsaicin could endanger children, immunocompromised adults, and elderlies with a weak immune system. It urged consumers to either discard the products or return it to the store they were purchased from.

Samyang’s Statement

Samyang Foods have said that this was the first time their products have been recalled due to being too spicy and have said that it would work better to understand local regulations in export markets.

For a brand marketed for being spicy, I guess this could be the best publicity it needs to win over even more consumers and skeptics.

“Currently, the products are being exported around the world, but this is the first time they have been recalled for this reason,” company spokesperson said to AFP.

One Chip Social Media Challenge

This recall could be due in part of the rising social media challenges of eating a very spicy product high on the Scoville rating.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration noted that children and youths have been participating in a social media challenge popularised by TikTok and Instagram called, “Can you eat a hot bowl of noodle soup?”

Well, Danish people sure cannot.

Other than noodles, very spicy chips are also part of a social media spice challenge and the agency noted that several children in Germany have been hospitalised with poisoning after consuming the chips.

The agency further added that the three packets of ramen noodles contained more chilli than the chips that led to hospitalisations in Germany.

“Therefore, it is important that parents are aware of these extreme noodle variants and avoid them,” said Mr Henrik Dammand Nielsen, division head of chemistry and quality at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

It is unknown whether there have been any specific poisoning incidents in Denmark that prompted authorities to recall the products.

For Singaporean spice enthusiasts, the 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken ramen is unavailable on FairPrice and Cold Storage listings online. However the two other instant noodle ramen variants are available in stores.

If you would like to test your spice tolerance, now would be so.

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Gabby Peng