7 Viral Food Challenges That Actually Went Too Far
From cinnamon to Tide Pods, the internet's food dares that ended in genuine warnings.
A look back at seven viral food-related internet challenges, why they spread so fast, and the real safety warnings that eventually followed several of them.
Viral food challenges tend to spread fast because they're simple to film, but several of these prompted genuine medical warnings once they got big enough.
The Cinnamon Challenge
Swallowing a spoonful of dry cinnamon quickly without water, which turned out to pose a real choking and lung irritation risk, prompting poison control centers to issue formal warnings.
The Saltine Cracker Challenge
Eating a set number of dry crackers within a minute without water, harder than it sounds due to how quickly dry starch absorbs saliva.
The Hot Pepper Challenge
Eating extremely hot peppers on camera became a recurring trend, occasionally sending participants to the emergency room over severe reactions.
The Gallon Challenge
Drinking a gallon of milk in under an hour, which frequently ended the same way for almost everyone who attempted it, for predictable physiological reasons.
The Chubby Bunny Challenge
Stuffing marshmallows into your mouth while trying to speak clearly, which choking-hazard concerns eventually got flagged by several safety organizations.
The Condiment Challenge
Drinking or eating large amounts of a single condiment, like hot sauce or mustard, straight, which occasionally led to genuine gastrointestinal distress.
The Ice and Salt Challenge
Applying salt and ice directly to skin, which causes a chemical burn similar to frostbite, leading to real medical warnings once the trend spread among younger participants.