A fiery tale

Three spicy flavours of Samyangrsquos instant noodles were recalled by Denmarkrsquos food agency which also urged customers to abandon packets they had at home The issue is not the quality of the packaged noodles but how spicy they are To fans of chillies this is oddChillies have a chemical called capsaicin which is gives them its heat Eaten in recommended limits itrsquos good for you ldquoSpicy foods boost metabolism and increase blood flow and blood circulation Many spicy foods are also antiinflammatory Several weight loss drugs and supplements isolate the ingredients from spicy foods like capsaicin and cayenne peppers as they are good for yourdquo says Saleha Bawazir a clinical nutritionistRenuka PawarOn the other hand hot foods are not ideal for those with acidity and gut issues Bawazir enlightens ldquoIt can cause loose motions diarrhoea and haemorrhoids they can also cause extreme sweating and spike blood pressure Spicy food has a thermogenic effect meaning it increases your body temperature heart rate and blood circulationrdquoIn India where the tolerance for capsaicin is culturally higher products with 10 to 15000 Scoville Heat Units SHU like tabasco hot sauce are commonly available Whereas Samyangrsquos spiciest noodle the Bulduk 3X spicy ramen has 13200 SHUldquoIn every country manufacturers know the highest spice tolerance levels and develop products accordinglyrdquo says Renuka Pawar a food scientist She adds that many manufacturers now use capsaicin oleoresin in packaged food which can have the highest levels of SHU Oleoresin is a natural extract used as a flavouring agent and the capsaicin oleoresin used in spicy noodles is what gives such products that fiery kickSpeaking about what manufacturers must do for spicier than usual products Pawar says ldquoDisplay a disclaimer on the label saying that this the product contains capsaicin oleoresin Have a chart to explain how spicy the product is with several chillies or mention that consumers should add one or two drops of the sauce Consumers can decide how much heat level is suitable as per their tolerancerdquo Pawar confirms that Samyangrsquos range does mention how spicy the packet of ramen will beSaleha BawazirA higher tolerance for spice is culturally visible across Asia But eating spicy foods causes micro cuts on the tongue ldquoA couple of black peppers cayenne pepper or regular red chilli peppers shouldnt be poisonous nor should there be any sideeffects All Indians add green or red chillies to their food daily Itrsquos our cultural exposure that gives us a higher tolerancerdquo says BawazirItrsquos no mystery that despite the repercussions of eating extremely spicy foods people still crave chillies Bawazir who is also a certified nutrition psychologist explains ldquoYou feel your heart rate going up and your blood pressure spiking So its that adrenaline and endorphin rush that people enjoy and thats why they chomp on a green chilli along with their dal chawalrdquoBut itrsquos the rush that chillies bring that sparked challenges across social media Several influencers posted videos of them eating Buldukrsquos spicy ramen which is also how the brand became exceedingly popularBawazir points out that in Denmark one person had acute poisoning and had to go to the ER So you have to understand that it is those isolated ingredients like capsaicin oleoresin that have a very high spice index It has been specially added to this particular brand of noodles because the goal is to go as spicy as you can as per the challengerdquo she saysWhile one packet is not going to be poisonous to consume having it over a period of time can have consequences Pawar believes Denmark is taking precautions She says that over time the levels of spice could cause acute problems and the higher the spice levels go the more the problems