Denmark recalls three spicy South Korean instant noodle soup brands used in online eating challenges

Copenhagen, Denmark — Food authorities in Denmark have recalled three types of spicy instant noodles imported from South Korea due to possible risks of “acute poisoning”. Consumers are asked to discard them or return the noodles to the retailer.

The noodles are made by Seoul-based Samyang Foods, one of South Korea’s largest companies, and sold around the world. The recalled noodles include Buldak Samyang 3 x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Buldak Samyang 2 x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Buldak Samyang Hot Chicken Stew.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said the products contain an excessively high dose of capsaicin, an active ingredient in chili peppers, but also a chemical that can be a neurotoxin and a health hazard.

Children and teenagers in Denmark have been challenging each other on social media to eat “a hearty bowl of noodle soup”, referring to the three South Korean products, the agency said.

“Noodle dishes marketed as extremely strong should no longer be sold because consumers and especially children are at risk of acute poisoning,” it said on Tuesday. “The capsaicin content is so high that it can pose a health hazard.”

Children, frail adults and the elderly are at risk, said Henrik Dammand Nielsen of the Danish Food and Drug Administration. Possible symptoms include burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure, he said.

“That’s why we are now demanding that stores remove products from their shelves,” the agency said.

In a statement to journalists, Samyang said he understood that the measures taken in Denmark were not based on product quality issues, but because local authorities considered that “they were too spicy and could cause problems”.

The company said the same noodles are exported around the world, but this was the first time it had been ordered to recall them in any market.

“We will closely study local regulations as we respond to this recall measure,” the company said.

Spicy food challenges have been around for years. From local chili eating contests to famous restaurant walls to those who have finished extremely hot dishes, people around the world have challenged themselves to eat especially spicy foods.

In September, a Massachusetts teenager with a congenital heart defect that participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media, he died after eating a large amount of chili pepper extract. An autopsy report obtained by the Associated Press showed that the 10th grader died on September 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.”

In Denmark, a perplexed consumer contacted the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and asked how instant noodles could be legal, the agency said, after which a laboratory evaluated the products and determined that all three brands of noodles could be harmful to health. instigating the recall.

“It is important for parents to be aware of extreme noodle varieties and avoid them,” said Dammand Nielsen.