Dane-ger! Denmark issues Buldak recall over spiciness.

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Dane-ger! Denmark issues Buldak recall over spiciness.

Published: 12 Jun. 2024, 16:11 Updated: 12 Jun. 2024, 17:39

A post by TikTok influencer Lucy Mourad of herself in a hospital gown with text saying that consuming spicy Buldak ramyeon sent her to the emergency room [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Denmark has issued a recall for several spicy Korean ramyeon products from the maker of Buldak, Samyang Foods, citing potential health risks due to high levels of capsaicin.

The recall affects three varieties of Samyang's flagship products — Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew, a company spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Denmark's food safety authority issued the recall Wednesday, urging consumers to dispose of or return the products. The agency said the amount of capsaicin in single packet is so high that the products could pose a risk of acute poisoning.

A range of different Buldak products [SAMYANG FOODS]

"If you have the products, you should discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased," a report by the BBC said, citing the food authority’s statement.

The authority further highlighted the potential dangers, saying that extremely spicy food can be particularly harmful to children.

Currently, there are no reports of similar recalls in other countries, and no global safety warnings have been issued regarding these products. This is the first time Samyang Foods has been subject to a recall regarding this matter, the company's spokesman added.

"It has been identified that the recall was not due to any quality issues with the product, but rather because the Danish food agency determined that the excessive spiciness could potentially cause problems," the spokesman said, adding that the company plans to closely examine local regulations and respond appropriately to this recall.

Capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the burning sensation in chili peppers, binds to receptors in the mouth when consumed, releasing spicy heat.

In April, a 24-year-old TikTok influencer residing in the United States named Lucy Mourad shared a post that said, "POV all the Buldak noodles you ate did indeed send you to the ER," in a short clip showing her wearing in a hospital gown lying on a gurney.

She was reported to have consumed Buldak products every week for six months.

She was diagnosed with kidney stones and blood poisoning. The doctor said that “it was possible that Buldak ramyeon could have caused her illness because processed foods are loaded with a great amount of salt.”

BY CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]