“One Chip Challenge” led to Massachusetts teen’s death, autopsy finds

WORCESTER – A Massachusetts teenager who participated in the “One Chip Challenge” died from cardiac arrest hours after eating the spicy tortilla chip, an autopsy concluded. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Harris Wolobah of Worcester had ingested a high amount of a chili pepper extract.

The 14-year-old died on Sept. 1, 2023. Chip maker Paqui pulled the product from store shelves days after his death.

Harris Wolobah’s cause of death

Wolobah’s cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest “in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration.” The National Capital Poison Center says capsaicin usually causes mouth and throat pain but can trigger more serious health problems, even heart attacks.   

Wolobah also had an enlarged heart and a congenital heart defect, the medical examiner found. 

The teen’s mother, Lois Wolobah, told WBZ-TV last year that she got a call from the school nurse at Doherty High School, saying Harris fainted after eating the chip a friend gave him. He later passed out again at home and was taken to an emergency room where he died.

The family at the time said Wolobah was a healthy basketball player with no known allergies.

“I hope, I pray to God that no parents will go through what I’m going through. I don’t want to see anybody hurting the way I’m hurting.” Lois Wolobah said. “I miss my son so much. I miss him so much.”  

What is the “One Chip Challenge”?

The “One Chip Challenge,” which gained popularity on social media, contains a single chip inside a box labeled “Carolina Reaper” and “Naga Viper Pepper.” On the back of the package a warning label says “Keep out of reach of children.” WBZ-TV found the chips in a store about 10 minutes from Wolobah’s school last fall.

“While the Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only, we have seen an increase in teen usage of the product,” a Paqui spokesperson told WBZ-TV after Wolobah’s death. “The product’s label clearly states it is not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or who has food allergies, is pregnant or has underlying health conditions.”   

The One Chip Challenge was also blamed for “poisoning” a sixth-grade student in San Francisco last year.