How many scoville units is the 2022 one chip challenge

What is the Paqui One Chip Challenge?

The Paqui One Chip Challenge is a social media challenge promoted by Paqui, a tortilla chip company. Paqui sells small containers, each containing one spicy chip and the label “One Chip Challenge”. The challenge involves eating the single spicy tortilla chip, then waiting as long as possible before eating or drinking anything else. The Paqui website challenges people to wait as long as possible after chip consumption, characterizing those who can last a full hour without eating or drinking as “invincible” (people who eat or drink a minute after eating the chip are dismissed as being “powerless”). Participants in this challenge are also encouraged to post their reactions on social media. 

How hot is the One Chip Challenge?

Because everyone’s sensation of taste is different, the hot and spicy flavor of the One Chip Challenge can vary among individuals. The hot or spicy sensation felt in the mouth and throat after eating chili peppers is due to the presence of capsaicin. The capsaicin content of foods is frequently assessed by using the Scoville heat units (SHU) scale. Bell peppers have zero SHU, while pure capsaicin contains approximately 15 million SHU. The Carolina Reaper pepper contains up to 2.2 million SHU, and some Scorpion peppers can contain more than 2 million SHU. The high SHU measurements confirm that both of these peppers are quite pungent and irritating to taste.

What is capsaicin?

Capsaicin is a naturally occurring compound that is the active ingredient in chili peppers. Capsaicin may be used by pepper plants as a natural defense against predators and fungal species. Although it is found in nature, capsaicin can also be synthesized through a chemical reaction. It is available in powder, liquid, and spray formulations. Although capsaicin is colorless and odorless, it is highly pungent and irritating to the eyes, skin, and mouth of humans and animals.

What is capsaicin used for?

Capsaicin is a component of some pepper spray and bear spray devices and is described as being more irritating than mace. Capsaicin is involved in pain perception in the human body, and repeated applications of capsaicin to the skin can reduce the sensation of pain. Topical capsaicin is sometimes also used as a treatment for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a disorder involving recurrent abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in individuals who use cannabis.

What peppers are in the One Chip Challenge?

The spicy peppers included in the One Chip Challenge vary each year. In 2022, the chip contains Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers. Previous years’ versions have included Sichuan pepper in addition to the Carolina Reaper pepper.

How long does the One Chip Challenge last?

Because capsaicin is highly irritating, most people will develop immediate irritation of the mouth and throat after consuming capsaicin-containing products such as the chip included in the Paqui One Chip Challenge. The irritating and painful signs and symptoms can last several hours, but can persist for days in some individuals.

What do you eat after the One Chip Challenge?

Because of its chemical composition, milk may be more effective than water in relieving mouth and throat irritation after consumption of capsaicin-containing foods. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching the One Chip Challenge chip, as capsaicin can transfer from your hands to other parts of the body (such as the face and eyes) and cause additional irritation. If capsaicin gets in your eyes, immediately irrigate the eyes with room-temperature water for 15-20 minutes.

Is the One Chip Challenge safe?

People who eat capsaicin-containing products, including tortilla chips featured in the Paqui One Chip Challenge, often experience mouth irritation, pain, or burning, along with intestinal discomfort. Capsaicin consumption can also cause more serious health problems, including chest pain, heart palpitations, and even heart attacks. Consumption of larger amounts of capsaicin can also cause repeated vomiting that can lead to life-threatening esophageal damage. Because of this, people should use caution when consuming foods or products that contain capsaicin.

What if the One Chip Challenge makes me sick?

If you experience worrisome symptoms after participating in the One Chip Challenge, get guidance from Poison Control immediately. Help from poison control is available online from webPOISONCONTROL and by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.

Poisoned?

Call 1-800-222-1222 or

HELP ME online

Prevention Tips

  • Keep capsaicin-containing products, including hot peppers and pepper spray, out of reach of children and pets.
  • Use caution when participating in social media challenges such as the One Chip Challenge, as harmful or unexpected side effects may occur.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe headache, or other unexpected symptoms after consuming capsaicin.

This Really Happened

Case 1: A 15-year-old boy consumed a Carolina Reaper pepper as a dare. Two days later, he developed a severe headache and high blood pressure during football practice. He took acetaminophen (Tylenol®), and went to an Emergency Department (ED) when the headache persisted. At the ED, he was initially diagnosed with a sinus infection and was discharged home on antibiotics. The headache persisted over the next few days and remained severe, so he went back to the ED where an MRI revealed an abnormal narrowing of the arteries in his brain. He was diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction related to hot pepper ingestion after additional testing failed to find another cause for his condition. He made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital.

Case 2: A 25-year-old man developed severe chest pain, 5 days after starting a new weight loss program that involved daily consumption of oral cayenne pepper pills. He went to an ED where he was diagnosed with a heart attack believed to be related to his repeated ingestion of capsaicin-containing cayenne pepper. He was then admitted to the hospital and treated with blood thinners, aspirin, and pain medications. Fortunately, he made a complete recovery, and had no further chest pain.


For More Information


References

American Chemical Society. Hot Peppers: Muy Caliente! Available at https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/archive/chemmatters-dec2013-pepper.pdf. Accessed September 20, 2022.

Arens A, Ben-Youssef L, Hayashi S, Smollin C. Esophageal Rupture After Ghost Pepper Ingestion. J Emerg Med. 2016 Dec;51(6):e141-e143.

Bosland PW, Coon D, Reeves G. “Trinidad Moruga Scorpion” pepper is the world’s hottest measured Chile pepper at more than two million Scoville Heat Units. Hort Technol. 2012;22(4):534-538.

Paqui.com. #onechipchallenge. Available at https://paqui.com/onechipchallenge/. Accessed September 20, 2022.

Sharma SK, Vij AS, Sharma M. Mechanisms and clinical uses of capsaicin. Eur J Pharmacol. 2013 Nov 15;720(1-3):55-62.

Sogut O, Kaya H, Gokdemir MT, Sezen Y. Acute myocardial infarction and coronary vasospasm associated with the ingestion of cayenne pepper pills in a 25-year-old male. Int J Emerg Med. 2012 Jan 20;5:5.

Steffee CH, Lantz PE, Flannagan LM, Thompson RL, Jason DR. Oleoresin capsicum (pepper) spray and "in-custody deaths". Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1995 Sep;16(3):185-92. 

Taylor CS, Kelly BM, Nichols TA. Fear the reaper: reversible cerebrovascular vasoconstriction syndrome after hot pepper ingestion. Radiol Case Rep. 2020 Apr 5;15(6):641-643. 

Trachootham D, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Lam-Ubol A, Promkam C, Chotechuang N, Sasano T, Shoji N. Differences in Taste Perception and Spicy Preference: A Thai-Japanese Cross-cultural Study. Chem Senses. 2017 Dec 25;43(1):65-74.

Wagner S, Hoppe J, Zuckerman M, Schwarz K, McLaughlin J. Efficacy and safety of topical capsaicin for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in the emergency department. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2020 Jun;58(6):471-475.

Poisoned?

Call 1-800-222-1222 or

HELP ME online

Prevention Tips

  • Keep capsaicin-containing products, including hot peppers and pepper spray, out of reach of children and pets.
  • Use caution when participating in social media challenges such as the One Chip Challenge, as harmful or unexpected side effects may occur.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe headache, or other unexpected symptoms after consuming capsaicin.

This Really Happened

Case 1: A 15-year-old boy consumed a Carolina Reaper pepper as a dare. Two days later, he developed a severe headache and high blood pressure during football practice. He took acetaminophen (Tylenol®), and went to an Emergency Department (ED) when the headache persisted. At the ED, he was initially diagnosed with a sinus infection and was discharged home on antibiotics. The headache persisted over the next few days and remained severe, so he went back to the ED where an MRI revealed an abnormal narrowing of the arteries in his brain. He was diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction related to hot pepper ingestion after additional testing failed to find another cause for his condition. He made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital.

Case 2: A 25-year-old man developed severe chest pain, 5 days after starting a new weight loss program that involved daily consumption of oral cayenne pepper pills. He went to an ED where he was diagnosed with a heart attack believed to be related to his repeated ingestion of capsaicin-containing cayenne pepper. He was then admitted to the hospital and treated with blood thinners, aspirin, and pain medications. Fortunately, he made a complete recovery, and had no further chest pain.

How many Scoville units is a chip challenge?

For those that “dare to face The Reaper,” the 2022 #OneChipChallenge is made with both the Carolina Reaper Pepper and Scorpion Pepper which both register at over 2 million Scoville heat units. Additionally, the chip will turn your tongue blue to prove you dared to take on this year's #OneChipChallenge.

Is the 2022 one chip challenge hotter?

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - The popular TikTok trend called the spicy “one chip challenge” is not necessarily new, but the company behind it, “Paqui,” released a 2022 version of the chip - hotter and spicier than ever.

What is the hottest chip in the one chip challenge?

What peppers are in the One Chip Challenge? The spicy peppers included in the One Chip Challenge vary each year. In 2022, the chip contains Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers. Previous years' versions have included Sichuan pepper in addition to the Carolina Reaper pepper.