Denmark has recalled several spicy ramen noodle products by South Korean company Samyang, claiming that the capsaicin levels in them could poison consumers.
Three fiery flavours of the Samyang instant ramen line are being withdrawn: Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Hot Chicken Stew.
Denmark’s food agency issued the recall and warning on Tuesday, urging consumers to abandon the product.
But the maker Samyang says there’s no problem with the quality of the food.
“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 firm said in a statement to the BBC.
“The products are being exported globally. But this is the first time they have been recalled for the above reason.”
It’s unknown if any specific incidents in Denmark had prompted authorities there to take action.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said it had assessed the levels of capsaicin in a single packet to be “so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning”.
“If you have the products, you should discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased,” it said in a statement.
It also emphasised the warning for children, for whom extremely spicy food can cause harm.
The notice has sparked heated discussion online with many amused reactions from lovers of spicy food. Many have made assertions about the Danes’ low tolerance for spice.
“I had a friend from Denmark who thought tasteless breaded shrimp with a little bit of ground pepper on it was too spicy. Not surprised they think this ramen is poison,” read one top-liked comment on the Reddit r/Korea group.
Samyang said it planned to “closely look into the local regulations” in Denmark and respond after that.
The noodles don’t appear to have been recalled before in any other country, nor have there been other safety warnings issued.
Capsaicin is the chemical compound in chilli peppers which creates the burning feeling.
When humans eat peppers, the capsaicin is released into saliva and binds on to receptors in the mouth.
Samyang is a major South Korean food manufacturer which brands itself as the first company in the country to create instant noodles, back in the 1960s.
I will say, the 2x spicy chicken was really fuckin’ hot
I can see it being lethal to people for whom the spiciest ingredient in their cuisine is whitefish
It’s just so weird because there’s a pretty decent culture for eating spicy food here as well. The usual go-to nighttime drunken dish is pita or durum, served with a large bowl of chili on the side so you can slather it yourself. There’s a large middle eastern population here as well.
It’s so weird. I’m legit pissed, the 2x spicy were perfect for me and now they’re gone because of someone screaming “won’t somebody please think of the children?”
Why not get rid of dairy products? A lactose intolerant child might eat them. What about meat? Eating it raw is bad for you, so that’s a danger as well.
So is that who the chilis are for? I see this situation in germany and it’s not the white people going for chili, usually
Really? I see white people go for the chili often, but I agree its more often people from the middle east. Either way they’re both danish, so (some) Danes like chili
Oh, so it’s an excuse to be racist
Makes sense
I would assume, but I don’t think ramen is more popular with the middle eastern segment than anyone else. Its at least not a stereotype. This decision is just genuinely baffling. It’s as if someone in the FDA ate the too spicy food, had a reaction and on that basis decided to ban it, instead of just saying “not for me”.
If “too much for some” is a criteria now, then we can’t really sell anything people are allergic to.
Danish peanut connoisseurs on notice
When you say Chili I can only think of the stew but I assume that’s not what you mean.
Yeah I mean chilis like Habanero and so on
Like paste or individual peppers?
Individual, otherwise it would be chilipaste
True. Thanks
FOUND THE DANE!
What’s your favorite rotten fish paste to eat in a bog?
Goddamn you people are fucking annoying
Yes
That’s Sweden, you’re thinking of Sweden.
The slander of Smørrebrød I saw in the other thread did get under my nerves though
Sweden, Denmark.
Potato, potato.
You’re all still Nordic frost people who eat gross fish.
Edit: Hey I wanted to apologize, I really shouldn’t be dragging Scandinavian cuisine. You guys have a rich and beautiful culture.
I gotta be honest, this is the one bit I just find plain boring and disappointing. It stems from being misinformed and incurious about other places and cuisine. I don’t mean to denigrate you, I’m trying to explain why I’m not really playing along.
Okay, sorry, I’m sure Denmark is a lovely country.
Oh yeah no worries and no need to apologise. Its a pet peeve of mine and it’s really just me being a crotchety old complainer. It doesn’t have anything to do with Denmark it’s just more general a thing about people mocking culinary traditions they don’t really know or understand. But I get why it’s done and it’s completely fair, it’s really just me being negative, so no need to apologise. But thanks
The store I first encountered these sold the 2x for less than the regular. So that’s how I tried the 2x first lol
Priced to move… your colon to the toilet
Yeah the heat these are packing is legit lol. I enjoy spicy food most of the time, but the one time I had the Hot Chicken Stew I struggled to finish it.
I sweated through a t-shirt after eating the 2x spicy ones
I would have probably been hospitalized if I ate the 3x spicy
I’ve had samyang ramen before I can confirm it’s really spicy, jokes aside I can see it being too much for people who get bothered by spicy mayo.
Yeah, I used to think I could handle pretty much anything in terms of spiciness, and those noodles kicked my ass
Calling it poisoning is a bit melodramatic though
yea i don’t think i’d ever try the 2x (or 3x god forbid) because the regular one (or the other flavors like quattro cheese or carbonara) are spicy af i wouldn’t be surprised if ‘experts’ told me i shold wear special gloves when preparing the 3x one because i could blind myself if i rubbed my eye wrong
I once got like 20 packets of the 3x one for about 6 dollars. I got really creative