In Denmark, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has issued a recall for three flavors of hot chicken instant ramen noodles. The reason behind the recall is due to their excessive spiciness caused by high levels of capsaicin, a naturally occurring chemical found in chili peppers. The three recalled flavors are Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen 3x Spicy, Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen 2x Spicy, and Hot Chicken Stew.
Samyang, the South Korean noodle company that developed the ramen, has stated that the products were not being recalled due to quality issues but rather because of their spiciness. This is the first time these noodles have been recalled for this reason. The Danish regulator did not specify the reason for the recall or if there had been any incidents reported. Consumers were urged to discard the products or return them to the place of purchase.
Instant noodles originated in Japan but have become popular across Asia. Samyang, a major noodle producer in South Korea, was the third-largest noodle maker in the country in 2022. The company claims to have produced South Korea’s first instant ramen in 1963. Buldak, which means “fire chicken” in Korean, was developed by Samyang’s CEO, Kim Jung-soo, and launched in 2012. The noodles gained popularity on social media through the “Fire Noodles Challenge” and were even featured in a TikTok video by rapper Cardi B. Taste testers have reported that some newer flavors may be two or three times hotter than the original Buldak ramen which scored 4,000 on Scoville scale similar to jalapeños.
