Denmark’s food regulator has recalled a brand of instant noodles, saying the umami-filled chewy strands pose a health risk, despite no quality control issues. They were too spicy.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Authority (DVFA) has decided to recall three varieties of the popular instant noodle brand Buldak because they were deemed to contain too much chilli.
The noodles “are being withdrawn because the level of total capsaicin content in the products poses a risk of acute poisoning,” the Danish agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
Capsaicin is the natural ingredient that makes chili peppers spicy, and the culprit behind the burning sensation that diners either love or hate when eating.
Buldak noodles are produced by Samyang Foods, a South Korean company with 2023 revenue of $2.3 billion. The word Buldak means “fire chicken” in Korean, which is a clear indication of what awaits inside the colorful packaging. Three varieties of noodles are being recalled: Buldak Samyang 3x with hot and spicy chicken, Buldak Samyang 2x with hot and spicy chicken and Buldak Samyang with hot chicken stew.
The noodle recall was unprecedented for Samyang, the company said. “This is the first time they have been recalled for this reason,” Samyang spokesman. said CNN. This is “because it is so spicy that it can cause problems.”
The high level of spices in Buldak noodles poses a danger, especially for “children, the weak or the elderly if they consume the full amount of capsaicin in the packages,” a DVFA spokesman said. Luck.
Are spicy foods dangerous to your health?
Mostly spicy food containing capsaicin are not dangerous.
However, extremely high levels of capsaicin can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as a burning sensation when ingested. according to to the National Capital Poison Center, a nonprofit poisoning hotline.
Some studies have shown that regularly eating spicy foods has health benefits. 2015 study from China found that people who ate spicy food six to seven times a week showed a “relative reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality” of 14% compared to people who ate spicy food just once a week. There are also some studies showing that spicy foods can help with weight loss because they reduce appetite and cause the body to expend more energy, thereby burning calories. A meta-study that analyzed nearly 90 clinical trials found that frequent consumption of spicy foods “results in clinically significant weight loss over 1 to 2 years.” according to to a scientific article from 2012.
Noodle brand founded by a former housewife turned CEO
Buldak noodles were the brainchild of Kim Jong-soo, now the CEO of Samyang Foods. Kim had an unlikely route to the corner office by marrying into the family that owned Samyang Foods, the source said. interview V Wall Street Journal. She was a housewife until the company fell on hard times and her father-in-law, the then chairman of Samyang, convinced her to join the business, which she eventually did as head of sales despite having no corporate experience.
“There was only despair,” Kim said of her first days in Samyang.
She eventually helped change the company’s fortunes when a lunch with her daughter at a rice shop that served a very spicy stir-fry inspired Buldak’s idea. Right after lunch, Kim went to the grocery store and bought three of each hot sauce and chili powder. The two kits were handed over to Samyang’s product development and marketing teams respectively. And the latter returned home with her to conduct her own practical testing, according to Magazine. After months of research, which required 1,200 chickens, two tons of hot sauce and chili peppers from around the world, Buldak’s recipe was perfected.
In the US, spicy Buldak noodles have gained popularity in recent years after sparking a trend on social media. Buldak’s hot ramen has spawned YouTube videos with hyperbolic titles like “Spicy Nuclear Fire Noodle Challenge” and “EXTREME SPIY RAMEN CHALLENGE!!!” (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME).”
Buldak didn’t pay the influencers to try the product, but he still welcomed the attention. “The creators expressed their thoughts organically and truthfully,” Kim said Magazine.
The brand then gained even more popularity when it released carbonara aroma – a reference to the popular Roman pasta dish which contains egg, pork cheek, pecorino and parmesan cheese. The Italian variety has launched its own wave of reaction videos on social media, including from celebrities like Cardi B, and sold out countrywide. (Cardi B’s social media video sent Samyang shares up more than 30%.)
The DVFA cited rising social media problems in the country as one of the reasons for its own decision to ban Buldak’s spiciest products. This isn’t the first time this year that a spicy food has been subject to recall due to social media issues. A teenager has died in the US following a social media protest urging people to eat one extra-spicy tortilla chip. The Paqui manufacturer then asked retailers stop selling product.
Danes who don’t like spice but still want to try the product might want to follow Kim’s lead, who herself finds Buldak noodles too spicy. “But after they ate them for a long time, they became more delicious and familiar,” she told the publication. Wall Street Journal.