Denmark Bans South Korea’s Buldak Ramen noodles for being excessively spicy

On Tuesday, the Danish food ministry asked people to immediately cease using Buldak Ramen noodles and issued a recall and warning.

Food authorities in Denmark have recalled three types of spicy instant noodle products imported from South Korea over possible risks of “acute poisoning.”

Authorities have advised those who’ve already purchased the noodles to discard them and to watch out for symptoms of poisoning in those who may have consumed some.

The three Samyang instant ramen line products—Hot Chicken Stew, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken—were taken off the Danish market.

In a statement released late on Tuesday, it stated that “the noodle dishes marketed as extremely strong must no longer be sold because consumers, and especially children, risk acute poisoning.” “There may be a health risk due to the high level of capsaicin.”

“That is why we are now demanding shops remove the products from their shelves,” the agency said.

Impact of Buldak on Humans

  • Eating food that is very hot can be an intense experience. Many people find pleasure in the burning feelings, and some even claim to have experienced a natural “high” from endorphin release when using spices.
  • However, after consuming anything excessively hot, we’ve all witnessed folks perspiring, flushing, and occasionally sobbing.
  • Consuming too much spice can cause sweating, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal distress.
  • Despite these effects, there’s little evidence of serious or long-term health issues from hot food, leading some to question whether Danish authorities overreacted in banning Buldak Ramen.

The Buldak noodles, crafted by South Korean food giant Samyang Foods, are renowned for their intense heat. The brand, which raked in $2.3 billion in revenue in 2023, lives up to its name ‘buldak’ translates to “fire chicken” in Korean.

The company stated, “We will carefully review local regulations while responding to this recall measure”.

The company stated that although the noodles are exported all over the world, this was the first time they had received a recall order in a market.

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