Abraham Jewett  |  September 18, 2023

Category: Food

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A package of Paqui with carolina reaper peppers sichuan heat one extremely hot tortilla chip representing the Paqui 'One Chip Challenge' product removal.
(Photo Credit: Keith Homan/Shutterstock)

Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge’ removal overview: 

  • Who: Hershey subsidiary Amplify Snack Brands removed its Paqui “One Chip Challenge” spicy chip product from shelves in the United States and Canada. 
  • Why: Amplify removed the product “out of an abundance of caution” following the death of a teenager who passed away after consuming the snack. The death has not officially been attributed to the product at this time. 
  • Where: The Paqui “One Chip Challenge” product was available in the United States and Canada.

Hershey subsidiary Amplify Snack Brands chose to remove its Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge’ product from shelves following the death of a Massachusetts teenager who passed away earlier this month after consuming the snack.

The Paqui “One Chip Challenge” was advertised as made with two of the hottest peppers in the world, sold for $9.99 in a coffin-shaped box and instructed consumers who purchased and ate the product to post their reactions to social media, The New York Times reports

Pacquire responded to the death, which has not been officially attributed to the snack, in a statement on its website. 

“As a result (of teens and other individuals not heeding warnings), 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,” the statement says. 

Amplify also pulled the product in Canada, where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is conducting a food safety investigation, Food Safety News reports

14-year-old dies hours after attempting Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge’

Massachusetts 14-year-old Harris Wolobah reportedly consumed the Paqui “One Chip Challenge” product earlier this month at school and passed away several hours later. 

Wolobah, who experienced stomach pains so severe that he doubled over, died around two hours after being rushed to a hospital following his attempt to complete the Paqui “One Chip Challenge,” The New York Times reports. 

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has reportedly said it will take as many as 12 weeks for autopsy results to become available. 

Paqui also came under fire in 2017 when a consumer filed a class action lawsuit against Amplify Snack Brands, arguing the company misled consumers about the sugar content of its Paqui Roasted Jalapeno Tortilla Chip and Paqui Grilled Habanero Tortilla Chips. 

Do you agree with the decision to pull the Paqui “One Chip Challenge” product from store shelves? Let us know in the comments. 


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