Worcester Family Sues Over Spicy Chip That Killed Harris Wolobah

WORCESTER, MA — The family of the Worcester teen who died last year after eating an ultra-spicy Paqui chip is suing the snack company, attorneys said Thursday.

Harris Wolobah's parents, Lois and Amos Wolobah, appeared with their attorneys at a news conference in Boston Thursday to announce the lawsuit, which follows an autopsy that found Wolobah died due to consuming a substance “with a high capsaicin concentration.”

Wolobah, a Doherty High School student, died Sept. 1 after purchasing the chip at a Worcester Walgreens. The pharmacy chain is also being sued. Wolobah's parent believe he was participating in a social media challenge involving Paqui products called the "One Chip Challenge."

"[Harris'] case is about every child exposed to social media today. They urge people to post videos eating a poisonous chip on TikTok and other social media platforms, which subjected our children to being brainwashed into thinking that eating a chip was somehow cool," attorney Douglas Shef said during Thursday's news conference.

Paqui, which is owned by the Hershey Company, responded by highlighting that it ended the one-chip challenge after the teen's death.

"Paqui's One Chip Challenge was intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children," the company said in a statement.