It can be said that Danish food is not known for its spices. Think open-faced sandwiches, pastries, and of course, meatballs.
So it may not come as too much of a surprise that the Danish Food Safety Agency on Tuesday ordered the recall of three types of spicy Buldak noodles made by Samyang Food.
The historic Korean instant ramen maker has seen some of its lines go viral in recent months, with its bright pink ramen carbonara packaging boasting celebrities such as rapper Cardi B.
And that includes Danish teenagers. In an online challenge, young people ate “thick bowls of noodle soup” made from three heat-dyed noodles.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration ordered the recall of Buldak Samyang 3x Spicy and Hot Chicken, Buldak Samyang 2x Spicy and Hot Chicken and Buldak Samyang Hot Chicken Stew.
The agency said the level of capsaicin — an extract from chili peppers — in instant ramen products is “so high that it poses a risk of acute poisoning to consumers.”
“Chili in large quantities poses a risk especially to children and frail adults. Possible symptoms include burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure,” said Henrik Dammand Nielsen, head of the agency’s chemistry and food quality department.
“That’s why we’re now asking stores to remove the products from their shelves.”
Food safety officials did not mention whether Danish authorities had any reports of injuries linked to consumption of noodles made at Samyang Foods.
The agency had a laboratory evaluate three noodle products and determined them to be harmful.
Capsaicin is common in topical medications and personal protective products such as pepper spray and mace.
Danish shoppers should return the noodle packets or throw them in the bin. Parents and guardians have been advised to call their local poison line if their child shows signs of acute poisoning.
Samyang’s “Fiery Noodle” line is hot to say the least, and near the top of many spicy ramen top 10 lists.
According to the Scoville scale, which measures the level of spiciness, the original package is 8,706 Scoville units — the jalapeño is about half that.
Buldak Samyang 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken has a Scoville rating of 10,000, while Buldak Samyang 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken has a whopping 13,000 according to The Ramen Rater.
Samyang Foods told The Korea Times that the company was initially unaware of Denmark’s product recall.
A few hours later, a spokesman said: “It appears that the Danish food authorities initiated the recall due to concerns that excessive spiciness could cause problems, not because of product quality issues.
“We plan to thoroughly examine the Danish regulations and respond to the recall accordingly.”
The company is hugely popular in the West, with profits set to hit a record high of more than £86,000,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, the stock has risen 70% in recent months after its Buldak carbonara ramen went viral on TikTok.
So viral, in fact, that noodle lover Cardi B said she drove — meaning her driver — for about 30 minutes to find a package with most of the sold-out products.
However, both Danes and Koreans are not entirely convinced that recalling the famous ramen brand is in good taste.
Seoul local Min Ju Yun told the Associated Press: “If there was a health problem, it should be a problem here in South Korea.”
Rubin Truong, who owns a Chinese grocery store in Copenhagen, called the recall “ridiculous.”
“If ramen is taking off, why isn’t Tabasco and fresh Jalapeño?” he said.
“Europeans can’t handle spices,” added user X. “Story at 11.”
MORE: Inside the life of the world’s first transgender celebrity
MORE: Man accused of ‘drunken spontaneous attack’ against Danish prime minister
MORE : South Korea’s new weapon against Kim’s ‘balloons’ – cheesy pop music
Get the latest news you need to know, good stories, analysis and more
This page is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google’s privacy policy and terms of service apply.