Sudden nausea, profuse sweating and blue tongues — these are just some of the symptoms associated with the ‘One Chip Challenge,’ the latest social media trend to trigger warnings in Bay Area schools.
Since 2016, Paqui chip makers have promised to “shock” consumers with their annual “One Chip Challenge.” The directions are simple: Eat one of their pepper-laced chips, sold in individual coffin-shaped packages, and see how long you can last before “short circuiting” and seeking relief.
The Texas company asks those taking part to share their experience online, and thousands of users have posted videos to platforms such as TikTok since this year’s “Reaper Chip” challenge began.
The 2022 chip is laced with Reaper and Scorpion peppers, which both contain more than 1 million Scoville units of heat (the average jalapeno pepper contains less than 8,000 Scoville units). The company says the seasonings will turn your tongue bright blue.
Multiple teenagers have reportedly been taken to the hospital after ingesting the chips, with one TikTok user posting a video of herself in an emergency room that has been watched more than 15.7 million times.
Some schools in East Bay have had to put out warnings to parents after students fell ill while attempting the challenge, including Walnut Creek Intermediate School.
“Some kids were buying the chips at the local 7-Eleven store across the street and taking small bites. We had a couple of reports of kids not feeling well afterward, but then we had an incident where a student ate an entire chip at lunch,” school Principal Jason Law said.
“A minute went by and his mouth was still really hot so he went to the drinking fountain. Then his classmates started giving him things out of their lunch to help. It just got worse and worse, to a point where he was violently throwing up in a trash can and writhing on the floor in pain.
“We were really worried; we thought about calling an ambulance. It scared all the kids.”
The child recovered, and Law went to the local store selling the chips to inform the owner, who decided to keep the chips behind the counter and only sell them to adults. The school hasn’t had a similar episode since.
Several students were also sent home from Wells Middle School in Dublin last week, prompting the school to distribute a warning to parents. In a weekly parent update, school officials said the chips had caused excessive vomiting for some students, even after one small bite.
“We learned about the ‘One Chip Challenge’ trend last week after several students were sent home due to adverse reactions related to this product,” the Dublin Unified School District said.
“Some might think bringing this challenge to our parents’ attention is unnecessary, but when you read the product warning label that says, among other things, to keep this product away from children and warns about situations that could result in the need to seek medical attention, you realize caution is needed, as this challenge is not one to be taken lightly.”
Fremont Unified School District has also been made aware of the issue, as has the Palo Alto School District, where a student was sent home sick recently.
In a statement, Paqui said its team was concerned to hear about such incidents and that it intended for consumers who take on the challenge do so with a “full understanding of what it is.”
“We take safety very seriously and have worked hard to ensure our products are properly and clearly labeled with allergen and safety information. As our labeling states, the Paqui One Chip Challenge is notoriously hot. The product should be handled with extreme care,” the company said.
“It should not be ingested by individuals who are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades or capsaicin, or who are minors, pregnant or have medical conditions.
“We hope that people considering taking this challenge will first read the packaging carefully to avoid a negative experience.”
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Source: www.mercurynews.com