A food that's popular in Hawaiʻi is causing an international controversy this week.
The government of Denmark is recalling several kinds of ramen made by a South Korean company because the products are too spicy.
The culprit is capsaicin, an active ingredient of chili peppers, which sources describe as “a chemical irritant and neurotoxin for mammals.”
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said the amount of capsaicin in a single packet of the ramen is so high that it could “pose a risk that the consumer develops acute poisoning.”
Back in South Korea, the maker of the noodles, Samyang Roundsquare, issued a statement saying, “It seems the Danish food authorities have initiated the recall due to concerns over excessive spiciness potentially causing health issues, rather than any quality defects in the product.”
The Korea Times quoted a local food official as saying “I’m not sure if the Danish authorities have valid regulations regarding ... the threshold at which spiciness can be classified as potentially dangerous.”
It turns out spicy ramen is a hot export item for South Korea.
Last month, the Korea Customs Service reported ramen exports overall were up nearly 50% from a year ago.
The Korea Economic Daily projects overseas sales of Korean ramen this year will top $1 billion.
