Samyang, a South Korean instant noodle company whose spiciest flavors feature a cartoon fire-breathing chicken on its packaging, has become the star of mukbangs and its own spicy noodles challenge — but not everyone can handle the heat.
Denmark issued a recall on three Samyang ramen products that may keep the company’s Danish fans from enjoying the viral product.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration says the capsaicin levels in a single package of these noodle products could poison consumers. Capsaicin is the chemical compound in chili peppers that gives them their spicy heat. Denmark is specifically recalling Samyang’s Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Hot Chicken Stew.
Samyang, a company that prides itself on introducing ramen to Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War, said that the Danish agency issued the recall because of the spiciness of the product, not because of quality issues.
"While these products are currently exported worldwide, this is the first instance of a recall due to this reason," the company told NBC News. "Given the lack of clear regulations within EU food laws regarding capsaicin levels, we are addressing this recall accordingly.”
In a TikTok captioned, “*I Cried* 3X SPICY NUCLEAR FIRE NOODLES CHALLENGE,” user markeats2023 tried the Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken flavor before tearfully reaching for a nearby glass of milk.
Indeed, some of Samyang’s online fans appear to power through the spice of the company’s fiery noodles. In another video on TikTok, foodie user ohmymisty prepped a package of the company’s spicy noodles — but not before popping two antacid tablets. “Gotta prep the stomach,” she explains in the video.
The recent recall has sparked debate online as to whether Samyang’s products are really too hot to handle, with many coming to the noodles’ defense.
The Scoville scale, a system that measures spice through a food’s concentration of capsaicin, places a jalapeño pepper at 2,000 to 8,000 Scoville heat units and a cayenne pepper at 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. According to The Ramen Rater, “The Definitive Source For Instant Noodle Reviews Since 2002,” Samyang’s 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken measures 10,000 SHU.
On X, user @CDGSU suggested that Denmark simply can’t handle the heat. “Europeans can’t handle spice. Story at 11,” they wrote.
The Danish agency urged consumers to discard or return their Samyang noodle products. It also issued a special warning for children, urging parents to contact the nation’s poison line if their child shows symptoms after eating the noodle products.
It does not appear that any other countries have issued recalls on Samyang’s instant ramen.
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