Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old from Massachusetts, tragically died in September after participating in the viral “One Chip Challenge,” an autopsy revealed Thursday. This social media challenge dares participants to eat a single, extremely hot tortilla chip.
The chip in question, produced by Paqui, is dusted with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers, known for their intense heat. The challenge has evolved over the years, with different extremely hot peppers used in each iteration.
The chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food item containing a large amount of capsaicin, a chilli pepper extract, according to the autopsy report seen by AFP. The report also noted that the teen had an enlarged heart, which may have contributed to his death.
Following Harris’s death, Paqui removed the product from store shelves. The chip was packaged in a coffin-shaped box adorned with a red skull and labeled “extreme heat.”
This incident is not isolated; media reports indicate that in California, three youths were hospitalized after taking part in the challenge, and seven others fell ill in Minnesota for the same reason.
