By Uzair Adam Imam
A US teenager died of cardiac arrest after participating in a social media challenge daring people to eat a single extremely hot tortilla chip, an autopsy revealed Thursday.
Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old from Massachusetts, died in September after participating in the so-called “One Chip Challenge.” The challenge involved a single chip produced by Paqui dusted with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers.
The dare has evolved over the years, with different peppers used each time.
The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting food with a large amount of a chilli pepper extract called capsaicin, according to the autopsy report seen by AFP.
The autopsy also concluded that the teen had an enlarged heart, which could have contributed to his death.
Days after his death, Paqui removed the product—packaged in a coffin-shaped box with a red skull and marked ‘extreme heat’—from store shelves.
In California, three youths were hospitalized after taking part in the dare, and seven got sick in Minnesota for the same reason, according to media reports.