Hot chilli crisps too explosive for pupils

A SCHOOL has banned a snack billed as Britain’s hottest crisp after a pupil suffered breathing difficulties.

Teachers at George Pindar School in Scarborough, North Yorkshire said the Doritos Roulette chips — which are 20 times hotter than a jalapeno — are a health and safety risk.

The secondary school sent a letter to parents warning them the snack could cause “severe distress” and advised pupils to steer clear.

Each bag of the new crisps contains multiple cooler varieties — but also a handful of crisps coated in an invisible chilli powder .

The fiery flavour has been outlawed in the United States and Doritos claims on its website that the snack will “leave you close to tears”.

One parent said: “You don’t want to be putting something in your children’s packed lunches that’s going to leave them unwell.”

The warning in the school’s newsletter came after one pupil was taken ill after the snack agitated a pre-existing medical condition. A school spokesperson said: “In relation to the cautionary note in our newsletter with regard to the Dorito Roulettes it was placed in there after an incident with a student where they had experienced some difficulty breathing after eating one.

“The student had a preexisting respiratory condition which clearly made them sensitive to the hot element of the Doritos chip.”

The crisps were launched in April and one in every handful is coated with a fiery flavouring which measures 78,000 units on the Scoville Heat Scale. By contrast a Scotch Bonnet pepper rates between 100,000 to 350,000. The other crisps in the packet are much cooler, making each bag like a game of Russian roulette.

A Doritos spokesman said: “We warn people to expect a seriously spicy experience with Doritos Roulette and we make this clear on the pack and in our adverts. We also warn that Doritos Roulette are not recommended for young children.”