Fourteen high school students from Tokyo were hospitalized recently after consuming potato chips flavored with bhut jolokia chili. According to BBC reports, the incident took place on July 16 when a student brought a packet of these chips to school, which were shared among approximately 30 students. The Japan Times reports that the student brought the chips to school "as a prank," having previously tried and found them "super spicy."
Shortly afterward, multiple students began experiencing nausea and intense mouth pain, prompting emergency calls to both the fire department and police. Thirteen girls and one boy were swiftly transported to the hospital. Fortunately, they remained conscious and displayed only minor symptoms.
Isoyama Corp, the company behind the chips brand in question, issued a statement apologizing for the incident and expressing hopes for the swift recovery of the affected students. According to The Independent, the company also said the presence of an over-18 warning in their statement. "People aged under 18 should refrain from eating this product because it is too spicy. Not only people who are not good at spicy foods but also those who like spicy foods need to be cautious while eating this product," the company stated regarding the snack referred to as "R 18+ Curry Chips". That's not all!
Isoyama Corp's website prominently features multiple warnings regarding the intense spiciness of their chips, attributed to the ghost pepper or bhut jolokia, known as one of the hottest chillies globally.