Generally speaking, food recalls happen because of something wrong with the food.
It might have been contaminated in the factory, or something might have happened in the field that ended up making people ill in various and sundry ways.
However, Denmark might be the first nation to issue a massive food recall because of its citizens' inability to handle the main ingredient in that particular food.
Newsweek reported Wednesday that the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has recalled three varieties of spicy noodles made by the South Korean company Samyang Foods.
The official reason given for the recall was the possibility of "acute poisoning" from the brand's super spicy flavors, Buldak Samyang 3 x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Buldak Samyang 2 x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Buldak Samyang Hot Chicken Stew.
Apparently, Danish children and teenagers have been daring each other on social media to eat "a strong bowl of noodle soup" and that, together with queries from concerned Danes, led to the products' recall.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration announced the decision on Tuesday.
"The noodle dishes marketed as extremely strong must no longer be sold because consumers and especially children risk acute poisoning," it said in a news release. "The capsaicin content is so high that it can pose a health hazard."
The agency told stores to remove the spicy noodles from their shelves and urged customers to throw them away.
Ekstremt stærke nudler kan give akut forgiftningsfare. Nudelretter, der bliver markedsført som ekstremt stærke, må ikke længere sælges, fordi forbrugerne og især børn risikerer akut forgiftning. Produkterne sælges under bla. navnet Samyang Buldak 3X Spicy #dkfood #dkbiz
”Kan du… pic.twitter.com/jKAfeOKrXn
— Fødevarestyrelsen (@Foedevare) June 11, 2024
Granted, capsaicin, the chemical responsible for spicy foods', well, spiciness, can be a neurotoxin if consumed in too large quantities.
Among the potential side effects of overconsumption of capsaicin are "burning and discomfort, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure," Danish authorities said.
Samyang Foods noted in a statement that the recall had nothing to do with the quality of the product, according to The Associated Press. Rather, officials in Denmark determined the noodles "were too spicy," the company said.
Naturally, people on social media had a field day with this news.
One person joked that "Tabasco sauce and Victoria Beckham" were being recalled for the same reason, and another declared a "huge points deduction for Denmark for recalling ramen noodles that are too spicy."
Korean noodles are being recalled in Denmark for being “too spicy”. Also on the recall list: Tabasco sauce and Victoria Beckham
— Eli Kane (@facedances3) June 13, 2024
Huge points deduction to Denmark for recalling ramen noodles that are too spicy. Embrace the crying and sweating. It’s a test of mettle since there is no mountaineering to be done domestically. The highest point in the country is a bridge. #Bland #Lame
— Steven Hammond (@StevenHammond93) June 13, 2024
As many pointed out, there was nothing inherently wrong with the noodles. So why did a government agency feel the need to intervene here?
If the noodles are too spicy for, as the officials said, "children or frail adults," at most the Danish government might need to put an advisory on them and let consumers use their own judgment.
What would a strong society do in this situation? Let citizens purchase such noodles if they want to consume something so spicy, or allow the nanny state to ban them entirely?
The good citizens of Denmark did not need government intervention to prevent them from burning their mouths on spicy noodles as if they were toddlers too ignorant to keep their hands away from the stove.
"How incredibly ridiculous you are," one Dane said on X. "You can buy chili products that are 100 times stronger than these with no problem, so because of a TikTok trend products suddenly have to be banned? It's really brain dead. You have just lost a very large part of the population's trust."
This situation might make for a funny headline, but it also highlighted a worrying trend in Western society.
The government does not need to ban every potentially dangerous substance.
People should be allowed to exercise their common sense and gauge the risk for themselves.
Especially when it's something no more harmful than a bowl of noodles.
