The One Chip Challenge is a social media challenge where participants eat a single extremely spicy tortilla chip made by Paqui, flavored with some of the world's hottest peppers, including the Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers. After eating the chip, the challenge is to wait as long as possible-up to an hour-before eating or drinking anything to relieve the intense heat. Those who last the full hour are deemed "invincible," while those who give in quickly are called "powerless." Participants often post videos of their reactions online

. The chip is packaged in a coffin-shaped box and contains a very high level of capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the burning sensation. The heat level is extremely intense, with peppers used measuring over a million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), far hotter than common peppers like jalapeños

. The challenge has been criticized for health risks. Capsaicin can cause severe irritation to the mouth, throat, and digestive system, and in some cases, serious complications such as heart problems, breathing difficulties, and esophageal damage. In September 2023, the challenge was discontinued after a 14-year-old boy died hours after participating, with his death linked to cardiopulmonary arrest and a congenital heart defect exacerbated by the chip's capsaicin content. Following this, Paqui withdrew the product from sale and stopped promoting the challenge indefinitely

. In summary, the One Chip Challenge involves eating one extremely hot chip and enduring the heat without relief, but it carries significant health risks and has been discontinued after a fatal incident