Denmark has recalled several products from a Korean noodle brand listed by Tesco, Asda and Morrisons for being so spicy they might cause “acute poisoning”.
The Danish Veterinary & Food Administration said in a statement on Tuesday that it had recalled three lines from Samyang’s instant ramen range because they contained dangerous levels of capsaicin, the active component of chilli peppers.
Consuming large quantities of capsaicin posed a particular risk to children and frail adults and could result in symptoms such as burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure, the food regulator warned.
The products which have been recalled are: Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken; Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Buldak Hot Chicken Stew.
The regulator has encouraged shoppers to throw them away or return them to the retailer.
Samyang’s Buldak ramen noodles have gained notoriety for their spiciness over recent months, as young shoppers have taken to TikTok to post videos eating them as a ‘challenge’.
@markeats2023 *I Cried* 3X SPICY NUCLEAR FIRE NOODLES CHALLENGE | 3x SPICY Samyang Buldak Noodles Mukbang | Mukbang Philippines #mukbangphillipines #samyang #samyangchallenge #samyangnoodles #buldakramen #spicynoodles #spicynoodlechallenge #spicynoodlesmukbang #eatingshow #asmr #mukbangers #filipinomukbanger #pinoymukbanger #koreannoodles #mukbang #mukbangphilippinesfood #asmrfood #asmrnoodles #mukbangasmrvideos #mukbangasmreating #eatingshowasmr #buldakramen #buldak ♬ original sound - Mark Eats
At the time of writing, the hashtags ‘buldak’ and ‘Samyang’ had been attached to 73.3k and 95.1k TikTok posts respectively. Additionally, all three of the lines that have been recalled in Denmark were available for UK consumers to order via Amazon.
While none of the products specified in the Danish recall are listed by the traditional big four supermarkets in the UK, Samyang’s Buldak Hot Chicken Flavour Ramen Cup was available from Tesco’s, Asda’s and Morrisons’ websites at the time of writing.
The product has received mixed reviews from consumers to date. One shopper posted to Asda’s website that the product had not been “as spicy as I’d thought”, while another complained “my son’s lips became swollen and started to burn after eating these noodles”.
The Grocer has approached the retailers for comment.
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