Family Sues Paqui Following 14-Year-Old's One Chip Challenge Death in 2023

The parents of Harris Wolobah, the teenager who died last year after participating in the Paqui "One Chip Challenge," are suing the company for their son's death.

On Thursday, lawyers representing the teen's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf against the company as well as Hershey Co. and Walgreens, the place where Harris bought the chip. The family held a press conference where one of their attorneys, Douglas Sheff, spoke for them. According to Sheff, the Wolobah family is making sure another family won't experience such a tragic event.

"They struggle with this horrible situation every hour of every day of their lives," said Sheff. "They believe that by filing this lawsuit, they're going to ensure that this doesn't happen to other kids and other families."

Harris died in September 2023 after he participated in the challenge of eating a single tortilla chip that was extremely spicy. An autopsy revealed Harris had an enlarged heart, a congenital defect, and he died from ingesting a high amount of capsaicin, a chili pepper extract. Following his death, Paqui announced they would be removing the product from store shelves and released a statement regarding the incident.

"We were and remain deeply saddened by the death of Harris Wolobah and extend our condolences to his family and friends," a Paqui spokesperson said. "Paqui's One Chip Challenge was intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or with underlying health conditions.

They continued, "We saw increased reports of teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. As a result, while the product adhered to food safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we worked with retailers to voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023, and the One Chip Challenge has been discontinued."

The chip was sold in a foil inside a coffin-shaped box that came with a warning that said the product was for adults only and kept out of the reach of children. However, that didn't stop numerous children from participating in the challenge.

Another incident with the chip involved a sixth-grader who started breathing heavy and vomiting after eating the chip. According to the kid, things got bad for him once he munched on the product.

"When I ate the chip, it was really spicy and all. When it was gone, I was fine, then I was sick, I was in the office and my stomach started hurting, my hands were stuck in (one) position," the child said. "I couldn't move them. I could barely open them up. It felt like they weren't even my hands."