Why did Buldak ramen get banned?

The Danish food regulators ruled them too spicy and therefore, a health hazard back in June. Two months ago, Danish authorities said that the Buldak noodles, made by South Korean company Samyang Foods, were being recalled because capsaicin content, which is a naturally occurring ingredient that lends the spice to chilies, could “pose a risk of acute poisoning.” This was especially a threat for children, the weak and the elderly, a spokesperson for the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) told Fortune in June. Some of the possible risks include high blood pressure, nausea and vomiting. The ban was extended to three variants of the brand’s noodles: Samyang Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew. “When they were banned, I bought like 50 packages, which I still have now but I guess I have a good deposit,” Phillip, a Copenhagen resident who was onboard the ferry, told the outlet. “I feel great now that they’re available again.” Denmark hasn’t hesitated to ban other foods that pose potential health risks.

Danes in central Copenhagen on Thursday marked the return to supermarket shelves of fiery South Korean ramen noodles that had been banned for being too spicy, a decision that has since been partly reversed. Stores in Denmark in June removed three variants of South Korean Samyang Foods’ Buldak instant ramen line after the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration found the noodles’ high capsaicin level posed a serious health risk. Capsaicin, the compound in chillis that creates a burning sensation when eaten, can cause intoxication, nausea, high blood pressure and vomiting when ingested in high quantities, the Danish regulator has said. But the ban was lifted last month for two of the three variants after further examination of the spicy noodles showed that they did not exceed the critical capsaicin level. The regulator’s warning in June was specifically aimed at children and youngsters, who challenge each other on social media to eat the spicy ramen, as well as vulnerable adults, it said in a statement at the time. Influencers who had been paid to participate joined fans to try the noodles served by chefs onboard the boat as it sailed through the Danish capital. Samyang, which sells the products worldwide, had contested the ban, and on Thursday celebrated the reversal by feeding its noodles to social media influencers, gathered on a ferry adorned in the firm’s bright-red colors on Copenhagen’s harbor. “When they were banned, I bought like 50 packages, which I still have now but I guess I have a good deposit,” Phillip said. “I feel great now that they’re available again.”