Paqui One Chip Challenge: Everything to know about the viral trend as Pearland ISD bans spiciest chip from schools 

The iconic One Chip Challenge from Paqui Tortilla Chips involves consuming a single, individually packaged "high voltage chip" flavored with two of the world's hottest peppers - the Carolina Reaper and the Scorpion. The challenge is to record oneself eating the chip and then seeing how long they can go before having a drink to nullify the spicy flavor.

Earlier this month, the Pearland Independent School District informed parents about the dangers of the Paqui One Chip Challenge in an email. The email read:

"The level of spice in these foods can be very dangerous to those with allergies or who have sensitive medical conditions. Please do not allow your student to bring these to school and encourage them not to take part in this potentially dangerous challenge"

Each pepper used to coat the chip has a Scoville Heat Index between 750,000 and 1,500,000, which ranks them in the top two categories of the scale. A jalapeno pepper, by contrast, falls into the 2,500–10,000 range.

Social media is flooded with videos of individuals eating the chip. Some of the participants in the challenge have also fallen ill.

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What exactly is the One Chip Challenge?

Paqui's One Chip Challenge seems to be really straightforward. Participants must simply consume one of the chips and wait at least an hour before eating or drinking anything else.

The two peppers used in coating the chip have a history of casualties, including multiple hospitalizations for post-consumption symptoms like loss of consciousness, seizures, and intense vomiting.

Paqui first announced the One Chip Challenge back in 2016. Hundreds of people participated in the viral challenge that year, which quickly took over the internet.

To up the ante, this year's chip even makes participants' tongues bright blue to prevent cheating.

At the time of writing this article, the hashtag #OneChipChallenge had over 477 million views on TikTok.

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Results of the One Chip Challenge

Several states like California, Texas, Georgia and Alabama have seen hospitalizations due to the challenge.

In Tyler, Texas, three middle school students were taken to the hospital by their parents. According to Rachel Barber, Director of Health Services for Tyler ISD:

"They started having violent vomiting on campus and it just would not stop, so we had to call their parents, and the parents had to take them to the hospital to be checked out."

She said that the effects of the chip include vomiting, shortness of breath and dehydration.

According to Brandon Tucker, the Principal of Treutlen Middle and High School, nearly 20 students have missed class because they fell ill after consuming the chip. As a result, school authorities are now encouraging parents to prevent kids from bringing the chip to school.

Needless to say, parents are not a big fan of the trend either, and have expressed their concerns. One of the parents said:

"They really don't see the consequences of participating in these challenges. They see the success stories, but the failures are never captured on social media."

Principal Tucker said that the One Chip Challenge could cause hospitalizations for kids struggling with respiratory or other gastrointestinal conditions. The chips are sold online and in stores with a warning labelled "keep out of reach of children."

Earlier this month, TikToker Angela Trujillo also documented how her niece had to be hospitalized after participating in the One Chip challenge.

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Paqui issues statement

In response to the serious consequences of the One Chip Challenge, Paqui stated that they care about their consumers and are concerned about the rare incidents of those who had a negative reaction to the challenge.

In a statement, the company wrote:

"We know the difficulty of the challenge is a great part of its allure. That’s why we take safety very seriously and have worked hard to ensure our products are properly and clearly labeled with allergen and safety information. It is our intent that consumers take on this challenge with a full understanding of what it is and if it is appropriate for them."

It continued:

"Our One Chip Challenge packaging includes a safety disclaimer noting that it should not be ingested by individuals who are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades, or capsaicin, or who are minors, pregnant or have medical conditions."

While the challenge is enjoyable for some, the company insists that all players thoroughly read through the packaging before participating.

Players are also advised to seek medical attention in case of adverse effects.