BOSTON– A lawsuit was filed Thursday in the case of a Massachusetts teenager who died after participating in a spicy tortilla challenge on social media.
Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from Worcester, died on September 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s “One Chip Challenge.” An autopsy found that Wolobah died after eating a large amount of pepper extract and also had a congenital heart defect.
Harris died of cardiopulmonary arrest “in the context of recent ingestion of a food substance with a high concentration of capsaicin,” according to the autopsy by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office. Capsaicin is the component that gives peppers their heat.
The autopsy also said Harris had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”
Paqui, a Texas-based subsidiary of Hershey Co., expressed its sadness over Wolobah’s death, but also cited the chip’s “clear and prominent labeling, highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy or spicy foods.” underlying health problems.”
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, children had no problem purchasing the fries, and there were reports of teenagers across the country becoming ill after taking part in the fries-eating challenge. Among them were three high school students from California who were taken to a hospital and seven students from Minnesota who were treated by paramedics after participating in the 2022 challenge.
The challenge required participants to eat the Paqui chip and then see how long they could go without consuming other food and water. Sales of the chip appeared largely driven by people posting videos on social media of themselves or their friends taking on the challenge. They showed people, including children, unwrapping the packaging, eating the fries and reacting to the heat. Some videos showed people choking, coughing and begging for water.
Harris’ death sparked warnings from Massachusetts authorities and doctors, who warned that eating such spicy foods could have unintended consequences. Since the chip craze emerged, poison control centers have warned that the concentrated amount could cause allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeats and even heart attacks or strokes.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
