The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) has issued a ban on the sale of specific Samyang Buldak noodle varieties due to their dangerously high capsaicin content, which, it said, “poses a significant poisoning risk”.
The affected products include Samyang Buldak 3 x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Samyang Buldak 2 x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew.
Samyang Foods stated on its website that “Hot Chicken stir-fried noodles has become very popular in China, Southeast Asia, etc., becoming the main brand leading K-Food.”
“K-Food” is short form for Korean Food and Henrik Dammand Nielsen, Head of Unit at the DVFA, explained that the extreme spiciness of these noodles could lead to acute poisoning, particularly in vulnerable groups such as children and frail adults.
"Chili in large quantities poses a risk especially to children and frail adults. Possible symptoms include burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and high blood pressure," he stated.
The issue came to light after a consumer questioned the legality of selling these highly spicy noodles in Denmark. Following an assessment by the National Food Institute, it was concluded that the capsaicin levels in these noodles were alarmingly high and harmful to health.
This conclusion was drawn after comparing the capsaicin content in these noodles to that found in chilli chips, which had previously caused poisoning injuries among children in Germany.
The noodles gained popularity through social media challenges on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where users dared each other to consume the extremely spicy dishes. These challenges have resulted in several hospitalisations, according to the DVFA.
"One of the hospitals in Denmark has a specialised unit for poisonings. They informed us that they received about 10 inquiries from individuals experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting," the DVFA said in response to The Korea Times' inquiry about potential illnesses linked to the Korean noodles.
In response, the DVFA has mandated that all stores remove the recalled products from their shelves. Consumers are also urged to discard or return the noodles to retailers.
"The amount of hot chilli is even higher in the noodles studied than in chilli chips, which have previously led to poisoning injuries among children in Germany. Therefore, it is important that parents are aware of the extreme noodle varieties and avoid them," added Nielsen.
The Korea Times obtained a research report from Denmark's DTU National Food Institute which found that the Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen 3x Spicy, the spiciest variant in the Buldak product lineup, contains at least 113 milligrams of capsaicin per package.
The Buldak instant noodle line, often called "fire noodles" due to their extreme spiciness, starts with the original package rated up to 8,800 SHU (Scoville Heat Units), according to Chefs Resource.
The Korean Times reported that the Buldak Ramen 2X Spicy has a SHU rating of 10,000, and the spiciest product in the lineup, the 3X Spicy Buldak Chicken Noodle product, rates at 13,000 SHU.
The Scoville scale measures spiciness by quantifying capsaicin concentration. For comparison, a jalapeno pepper stands between 4,000 to 8,000 SHU, while habanero peppers range from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU.
An official at Samyang Foods told The Korea Times on Friday that the firm is reviewing Danish regulations and the capsaicin levels mentioned in the Danish report.
IOL