Korean ramen ‘too spicy’ as Denmark recalls Samyang noodles that ‘could poison consumers’

Denmark recalls Samyang noodles as they are considered ‘too spicy’

Denmark has recalled multiple spicy ramen noodle products from South Korean company Samyang.

The country’s food agency claimed concerns over potential poisoning risks from high capsaicin levels contained in the products.

Three hot flavours of the Samyang instant ramen line are being removed from the market — these include Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Hot Chicken Stew.

The agency also urged residents to discard the ramen noodles or return them to the stores where they purchased them.

Denmark recalls Samyang’s spicy ramen noodles

According to BBC News, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) had reported that the capsaicin levels in one packet were deemed “so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning”.

“If you have the products, you should discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased,” stated in a released statement.

It also highlighted that the extremely spicy ramen noodles can be harmful to children.

However, Denmark’s recall of South Korean instant noodles has sparked a heated debate online, garnering many amused reactions from spicy food lovers.

Many netizens couldn’t help but bring up the Danes’ ‘low tolerance for spiciness.’

A Redditor on the Korea subreddit shared how his Danish friend found “breaded shrimp with a little bit of ground pepper” to be too spicy.

Another netizen said they don’t eat Samyang noodles despite being Korean as it’s unnecessarily spicy for them.

One person wrote a brief comment that reads: “Skill issue.”

Samyang’s spicy ramen noodles have lowest SHU rating of 8,706

According to the Korea Times, Samyang’s spicy ramen noodles have spiciness levels starting at 8,706 on the Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

The Scoville scale measures how spicy something is by checking the concentration of capsaicin — the compound that makes chilli peppers hot.

The Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken has a SHU rating of 13,000, making it the spiciest version of the three. Meanwhile, the Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken has a SHU rating of 10,000.

When asked by The Korea Times on Wednesday (12 June), Samyang Foods claimed it was unaware of the decision made by the Danish authorities.

However, the company later stated that it is closely examining the Danish regulations.

“We plan to closely examine the Danish regulations and respond to the recall accordingly,” said a Samyang Foods spokesperson.

This is the first time the globally popular spicy noodles have been recalled due to their spiciness.

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Featured image adapted from @samyangfoods_global on Instagram and Daria Strategy on Unsplash.