USA – Worcester in Massachusetts: 14-Jähriger stirbt nach Verzehr eines scharfen Tortillachips

The American producer of spicy tortilla chips has responded to the death of a 14-year-old. The company Paqui has stated that they are working on removing the chips from the shelves.

Vor einer Woche war ein Schüler aus der Stadt Worcester im US-Bundesstaat Massachusetts gestorben, nachdem er einen der Chips gegessen hatte, wie unter anderem die »New York Times«  berichtet. Die Obduktion steht noch aus, doch die Familie ist sicher, dass sein Tod mit dem Chip zusammenhängt.

The chip is sold individually as the „One Chip Challenge“ for just under ten US dollars. In addition to detailed warnings about consumption for pregnant women or children, buyers are encouraged to refrain from drinking water for as long as possible and share their reaction on social media. This can be done through platforms like TikTok, where numerous videos about the „One Chip Challenge“ can be found. The chip is seasoned with two extremely spicy chilis, including the Carolina Reaper, which holds the title of the hottest variety in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Nicht ansprechbar

The mother of the deceased 14-year-old told the „New York Times“ that last Friday, the school asked her to pick up her son because he was feeling unwell. When she arrived, he was holding his stomach and showed her the bag of chips. He became unconscious at home and died in the hospital. He had no health problems. The police stated that when they arrived at the family’s house, the boy was unresponsive and not breathing.

The cause of death was initially unclear, and the results of the autopsy will not be available for several weeks. The mother of the boy told the newspaper that the chip is not safe. „It must be completely removed from the market.“

The manufacturer Paqui expressed deep shock over the death. An increasing number of buyers are not taking the warning labels on the packaging seriously. Therefore, they will collaborate with retailers to remove the product from stores.

Jospeh Early, Bezirksstaatsanwalt von Worcester County, twitterte, die Untersuchungen zu dem Fall dauerten an. Eltern sollten ihren Kindern von der Teilnahme an der »One Chip Challenge« abraten.