About a week after Harris Wolobah, 14, passed away shortly after participating in the Paqui “One Chip Challenge,” the brand is pulling the product from shelves.
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Paqui Pulled The Spicy Product “Out Of An Abundance Of Caution”
The chip brand acknowledged the decision within an online statement on Thursday.
Paqui reiterated that the “One Chip Challenge is meant for adults only” before declaring, “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings.”
On account of this observation, the brand decided to remove the product from stores “out of an abundance of caution.”
“While the product continues to adhere to safety standards, out of an abundance of caution, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product from shelves.”
Additionally, a Paqui spokesperson told PEOPLE, “We care about all of our consumers and have made the decision to remove the product from shelves.”
As The Shade Room reported, the decision follows Wolobah passing away shortly after eating a super-spicy Paqui chip at school last Friday (Sept. 1). The single-serving product is intended for adults to consume before seeing how long they can go without quenching the burn with food or water.
After the 14-year-old ingested the chip, he reportedly fainted before a school nurse sent him home. Later that evening, Wolobah was dead, though an autopsy hasn’t officially confirmed the cause of death.
The Community Is Gearing Up To Honor Harris Wolobah
This move comes as Wolobah’s family prepares to pay tribute to the teen with a vigil, according to AP News.
The event will go down on Friday evening (Sept. 8), exactly one week after his passing. The family hasn’t publicly spoken on the situation, though the outlet notes that a man associated with the Wolobahs says they’re “grieving deeply right now.”
In addition to the vigil, a co-ed basketball fundraiser will go down on Sept. 9, per This Week in Worcester.
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