Denmark mocked for recalling Korean ramen for being too spicy

A popular ramen brand has hit back after it was claimed a hot chilli in its fiery noodle range was not safe.

Denmark’s food agency has recalled three flavours of the Samyang instant ramen line, claiming a chilli pepper extract included in three of its popular products could “poison consumers”.

Three “fiery” flavours of the South Korean instant ramen noodles have been withdrawn: Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew.

However, the ramen manufacturers have hit back at claims the product is “too spicy”, stating there’s no problem with the quality of their products, adding the Danes simply can’t handle the heat.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration announced the recall on Tuesday, citing high capsaicin levels in the three recalled products, The Guardian reports.

Denmark’s food agency has recalled three flavours of the Samyang instant ramen line over fears the spice could poison consumers. Picture: Amazon

“If you have the products, you should discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased,” the organisation declared in a statement.

Capsaicin is a chill pepper extract that can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and a burning sensation when ingested in extreme amounts, according to Poison.org.

It also issued a special warning against children eating the noodles, urging parents to contact a local Poison Line if their children appeared to show “acute symptoms”.

Samyang subsequently released a statement to theBBC, which shut down Denmark’s response, and reassuring consumers.

“We understand that the Danish food authority recalled the products, not because of a problem in their quality but because they were too spicy.

“The products are being exported globally,” the company added. “But this is the first time they have been recalled for the above reason.”

Everyone has a different tolerance for spicy food, but the actual scientific consensus on whether spicy food can have an effect on your health is pretty mixed, an investigation by The Conversation found in October 2023.

Right now, the evidence from large population-based studies suggests that spicy food does not increase the risk of all-cause mortality among a population and may actually decrease the risk.

Paul Terry, a Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Tennessee who penned the piece explained that studies into the potential risks and benefits of long-term spicy food consumption have been going on for many years, the outcomes are affected by a range of different factors.

“Right now, the evidence from large population-based studies suggests that spicy food does not increase the risk of all-cause mortality among a population and may actually decrease the risk,” he wrote.

“However, when considering the results of these studies, keep in mind that what people eat is one part of a larger set of lifestyle factors – such as physical activity, relative body weight and consumption of tobacco and alcohol – that also have health consequences.”

Samyang subsequently released a statement stating the product was safe, adding the Danes can’t handle the spice. Picture: TikTok/@ellasavoiee

Since the recall was announced, social media users have been divided, as some agreed the noodles were unbearably hot.

“My half-Korean friend introduced me to these saying he eats them as ‘stress relief’ – and it works! When your head is getting blown up by this level of spice you forget about all your work stress,” one wrote on Reddit.

“My wife (Thai) loves spicy food, but even she could barely handle the 3x Spicy from Samyang,” another added.

As someone else overshared: “Surprisingly, no, I couldn’t feel them burning through my entire system, except on exit.”

However, many had a field day, poking fun at the Danes for being unable to handle the spice.

“That’s dumb, the packaging has a clear warning that it may be spicy,” one scoffed.

“I had a friend from Denmark who thought tasteless breaded shrimp with a little bit of ground pepper on it was too spicy,” another joked.

While a Danish person said: “My granddad visited some years ago, and kept complaining about how spicy the food was. It had garlic in it.”

A TikTok trend emerged recently where people film themselves eating the ‘crazy hot’ ramen on camera. Picture: TikTok/@ellasavoiee

A TikTok trend involving tasting the “hot” noodles on camera to get a real-time reaction has seen many videos of people eating the ramen emerge.

One woman, who uses the handle @ellasavoiee, filmed herself eating the 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken flavour and described it as “next level spicy”.

“Oh my God I’m sweating and my mouth is on fire,” she states as she chews the popular dish in a video.

“I don’t even know how you can enjoy this level of spice because I can’t even feel my mouth.”