The South Korean Noodle Brand That Was Once Banned In Denmark For Being Too Spicy

When you hear about a food being "too spicy," you'd generally think this is a personal opinion: What's too spicy for one person might be perfect for another. But going by what turned out in Denmark in 2024, it's possible for foods (at least in that country) to be legally too spicy to sell. Sort of.

In June 2024, Denmark's food authority, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, pulled three varieties of South Korean brand Samyang Foods' Buldak instant noodles off supermarket shelves; 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Hot Chicken Stew were the varieties banned. The reason was the noodles' high levels of capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot and spicy. Authorities warned the high capsaicin could lead to acute poisoning, meaning poisoning that's caused by a one-off or short term exposure to excessive amounts of some kind of substance.

The DVFA seemed particularly concerned about the effects on children performing spicy food challenges on social media, and pointed to cases in Germany where kids were reportedly hospitalized for eating ultra-spicy chips. While its official statement didn't point to any such cases involving Buldak noodles, the agency warned that those affected by such poisoning could experience nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and intense burning sensations. In response, Samyang Foods noted that its noodles had never before been recalled, and pointed out that Denmark's ban wasn't related to food safety issues like contamination, but entirely due to the spice level of the ramen.

Among the immediate responses on social media were accusations (often tongue-in-cheek) that the ban was because Danish people simply couldn't handle spicy food (traditionally, Danish food is not very spicy). Some scientific articles said that while people who eat ultra-spicy food can feel unwell in the immediate aftermath, whether or not it causes any long-term harm is up for debate.

In any case, the ban didn't stick around for too long. The Danish food authorities quickly unbanned two varieties of noodles (the Hot Chicken Stew and 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken). It conducted a study of the capsaicin levels in the noodles and found that they had been overstated by Samyang. For the record, those two noodles had spice levels of around 8,700 Scoville units (a measure of spiciness) for the stew and 10,000 for the 2x Spicy Chicken, roughly comparable to a serrano chili. However, the 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken variety stayed off the market.

To celebrate the return of the noodles for sale, Samyang Foods chartered a ferry in Copenhagen's harbor, inviting influencers aboard to eat the unbanned varieties. It could be argued that the ban didn't really hurt the company, as it drew truly global media attention to the brand. But in the event you're feeling some pain from slurping on Buldak noodles (or anything else that's spicy), you'll want to eat or drink something fatty to help absorb the capsaicin: Dairy, like milk or yogurt, is often recommended to tame spice. Or, just follow in the footsteps of Buldak's creator on the right way to eat the ramen by coating it in plenty of cheese.