A 14-year-old boy in Massachusetts passed away from a heart attack after consuming a tortilla chip with a concentrated amount of a compound found in chili peppers. The incident occurred last September, but the cause of death was only identified last Thursday.
According to a report, the boy, identified as Harris Wolobah, had a congenital heart defect.
In September last year, he participated in Paqui’s ultra-spicy “One Chip Challenge” and consumed a tortilla chip seasoned with both the Carolina Reaper pepper and the Naga Viper pepper.
On Thursday, the chief medical examiner’s office confirmed that Wolobah died of cardiopulmonary arrest after consuming a food substance “with high capsaicin concentration.” A spokesperson from Paqui also informed the publication that the challenge was intended only for adults.
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Paqui’s One Chip Challenge was intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling that emphasized the product was not suitable for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or with underlying health conditions.
Capsaicin is the naturally occurring chemical in chili peppers responsible for their spicy heat. The Carolina Reaper Pepper ranks just under pepper spray on the Scoville scale, which measures the pungency, or spiciness, of peppers and chilis.
The Naga Viper is slightly less pungent, registering around 1.2 million heat units on the scale, which is far spicier than a jalapeno pepper, rated at about 5,000 heat units, according to the report.
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