Harris Wolobah, a tenth grader from town of Worcester, died on Sept. 1, 2023, after consuming the chip manufactured by Paqui. The reason behind dying was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration,” in keeping with the post-mortem from the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner. Capsaicin is the element that offers chili peppers their warmth.

The post-mortem additionally mentioned that Wolobah had cardiomegaly, which means an enlarged coronary heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”

Paqui, a Texas-based subsidiary of the Hershey Co., pulled the product from retailer cabinets shortly after Harris’ dying. The Associated Press despatched an e mail in search of remark to Hershey on Thursday.

The reason behind Harris’ dying was decided on Feb. 27, and a dying certificates was launched to the Worcester metropolis clerk’s workplace on March 5, in keeping with Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The Paqui chip, offered individually for about $10, got here wrapped in foil in a coffin-shaped field containing the warning that it was meant for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning famous that the chip was for grownup consumption solely, and ought to be saved out of the attain of youngsters.

Despite the warning, youngsters had no drawback shopping for the chips, and there had been experiences from across the nation of teenagers who obtained sick after collaborating within the chip-eating problem. Among them have been three California highschool college students who have been taken to a hospital and 7 college students in Minnesota who have been handled by paramedics after collaborating within the problem in 2022.

The problem referred to as for contributors to eat the Paqui chip after which see how lengthy they may go with out consuming different meals and water. Sales of the chip appeared largely pushed by folks posting movies on social media of them or their mates taking the problem. They confirmed folks, together with youngsters, unwrapping the packaging, consuming the chips after which reacting to the warmth. Some movies confirmed folks gagging, coughing and begging for water.

Spicy meals challenges have been round for years. From native chili pepper consuming contests to restaurant partitions of fame for many who completed further sizzling dishes, folks world wide have been daring one another to eat particularly fiery meals, with some specialists pointing to the interior rush of competitors and risk-taking.

A YouTube collection referred to as “Hot Ones” rose to web fame a number of years in the past with movies of celebrities’ reactions to consuming spicy wings. Meanwhile, eating places nationwide have supplied in-person challenges — from Buffalo Wild Wings’ “Blazin’ Challenge” to the “Hell Challenge” of Wing King in Las Vegas. In each challenges, patrons over 18 can try and eat a certain quantity of wings doused in further sizzling sauce in restricted time with out ingesting or consuming different meals. Chili pepper consuming contests are additionally usually hosted world wide.

Extremely spicy merchandise created and marketed solely for the challenges — and doable web fame — is a newer phenomenon exacerbated by social media.

Harris’ dying spurred warnings from Massachusetts authorities and physicians, who cautioned that consuming such spicy meals can have unintended penalties.