“Chili in large quantities is dangerous”

A puzzled consumer, probably as indignant as he is upset after martyr of your palate with one of the ultra-spicy varieties of instant noodles “Buldak”, received from the Danish food authorities prohibit sale of these Famous noodles South Koreans all over the country.

The citizen in question contacted the Institute Danish food does the sale of spicy noodles “Buldak”, very popular in various challenges on social networks, comply with the current legislation on this issue. The response from this body, dependent on the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, was clear: potentially harmful to health and it should be withdrawn from the market. Consumers who have them at home are advised throw them away or return them to retailers.

“Chili in large quantities is dangerous, especially for children and fragile adults. Possible symptoms are burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and hypertension. That is why we are now demanding that stores remove these products from their shelves,” explained Henrik Dammand Nielsen. , head of the department of the institute. “Levels of capsaicin in the noodles studied were even higher than in chili nachos, which have already caused several poisoning in children in Germany

. Therefore, it is important for parents to be aware of these extreme noodle variations and avoid them.” Capsaicin is a natural chemical compound that gives chili peppers their heat.

These noodles Ultra-processed foods can cause acute poisoning, which Dammand Nielsen talks about almost as if they were dangerous political extremists. They are sold under the names Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen 3xSpicy, Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen 2xSpicy and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew.

Samyang, the South Korean company that sells them, reacted with surprise. “We understand that the Danish authorities have recalled these products not because of quality issues, but because of quality issues. but because they are too spicy

“,” said an official statement sent to the media. “We export these items worldwide, but this is the first time they have been removed due to the above-mentioned reason.”

Buldak instant noodles, which are easily found in many Danish supermarkets, regularly take part in competitions on TikTok, Instagram and other social networks, especially among children and young people. The challenge is to withstand the high intensity of the spiciness as best as possible. However, capsaicin levels are so high that they can pose a health risk. In Germany, several minors were hospitalized with poisoning after eating very spicy Hot Chip nachos.

Although traditional Danish food is not particularly spicy, it is home to one of the most legendary figures in the chili world. Klaus Pilgaardbetter known as Chili Klaus. In addition to promoting a line of extremely hot chili products, Pilgaard gained enormous popularity through YouTube videos in which he invited famous people to eat exceptionally strong fresh chili peppers with him. A Brazilian TV presenter who tried this experiment ended up in the emergency room.

Buldak noodles were released in 2012 by Samyang, which was founded in 1961 and was the first to introduce noodles instant noodles in South Korea in 1963. Korean cuisine is known for its spicy flavors, and in a sense, Buldak noodles are designed to satisfy these preferences, but its extreme spiciness goes beyond local culinary tradition and reacts mainly to Marketing strategy this has turned them into a global phenomenon.

Coincidentally, this journalist, a big fan of chili peppers, including habanero, tried a few months ago a variant known as 2xSpicy, that is, twice spicy, mistakenly believing (due to inattention to the text on the packaging) that this was the variant gentle because the envelope is red. The black envelope was more menacing, but it was just a variant of “Spicy”. Although an interesting aroma seemed to be detected in the distance, under the bombardment of capsaicin, one waiter was barely able to swallow—and spit out—one bite before he capitulated unconditionally. That there is an even spicier variant, 3xSpicy, seems incredible.