Consumers across the world have different tastes and preferences when it comes to food. For instance, a dish that people think is mild in one place might be considered extremely spicy in another part of the world. As the global economy pushes products across national and cultural lines, many businesses have come to discover the potential difficulties of selling food to customers in unfamiliar markets. In fact, an instant ramen company in South Korea learned this lesson the hard way when some of its most popular products were recalled in Denmark for being too spicy.
The Seoul-based firm Samyang Foods ran into trouble with its “Buldak” noodles, which means “fire chicken” in Korean. Containing twice the spice of Tabasco sauce, the product’s packaging highlights its heat content by displaying an angry chicken holding a bomb. Young people on Danish social media soon began to dare each other to eat as many bowls of this spicy soup as they could, causing concern among the government about the health consequences of this trend. They ultimately determined that the soup contained too much capsaicin, the active ingredient that gives chili peppers their heat. “The noodle dishes marketed as extremely strong must no longer be sold because consumers and especially children risk acute poisoning,” said the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration in its recall of Samyang’s noodles. “The capsaicin content is so high that it can pose a health hazard.”
To explain their actions, Danish authorities pointed to the snack company Paqui, which stopped selling its extra spicy tortilla chips after an American teenager died participating in the “One Chip Challenge.” This explanation puzzled some consumers since there have been no reported deaths tied to Buldak noodles. What’s more, Samyang’s products are stocked in grocery stores across the world, including American supermarkets like Costco, Walmart, and Albertsons. Nevertheless, Danish regulators ruled that the noodles carried an acute risk of poisoning and advised consumers to abandon the company’s products. Although Samyang did not challenge the country’s decision, it emphasized that Denmark was not recalling the noodles because of any quality or safety issues. “We understand that the Danish food authority recalled the products, not because of a problem in their quality but because they were too spicy,” said Samyang in a statement.
Questions
- Do you agree with Denmark’s decision to recall Samyang’s spicy noodles from the market? Why or why not?
- What are the potential risks and rewards of exporting food products with distinct cultural tastes to new markets?
Sources: Brown, Jessica, “The Kick from Your Chili Can Have Side Effects,” BBC, June 24, 2024; Confino, Paolo, “A Popular Instant Noodle Brand Just Executed a First-of-its-kind Product Recall Because It Was Found Too Spicy For Europeans,” Fortune, June 13, 2024; “Denmark Recalls Spicy South Korean Noodles over Health Concerns,” Associated Press, June 13, 2024.