BOSTON – A Massachusetts teenager who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media died from eating a large amount of pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect, according to an autopsy report obtained by the Associated Press.
Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died on September 1, 2023, after eating the chip manufactured by Paqui. The cause of death was listed as cardiorespiratory arrest “in the context of recent ingestion of a food substance with a high concentration of capsaicin,” according to the autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Paqui pulled the product from shelves shortly after Harris’ death. The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment Thursday to the Hershey Co., owner of Paqui.
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The cause of death was determined on Feb. 27, and the death certificate was released to the county clerk’s office on March 5, according to Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, came wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped box bearing the warning that it was intended for the “vindictive pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The alert warned that the chip was only for adult consumption and should be kept out of the reach of children.
Despite the warning, the children had no problem buying the tokens. There have been reports of teenagers across the country becoming ill after participating in the potato chip eating challenge, including three California high school students who were sent to a hospital. Paramedics were called to a Minnesota school in 2022 when seven students fell ill after participating in the challenge.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
