Latest news with #foodchallenge
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I tasted the 'world's SOUREST sweet' dubbed Black Death - so acidic it's not suitable for anyone under 12
If you love extreme food challenges, there's a fearsome new confection taking social media by storm. The 'Black Death' sweets are ultra-sour jet black balls created by English confectionery company Mr Simms. Mr Simms describes Black Death as 'the world's sourest sweet', beating the likes of Sour Patch Kids, Toxic Waste and Warheads Sour Cubes. On its website, the little lemon-flavoured boiled spheres are available at £4.50 for 200g, £10.99 for 500g and £21.79 for 1kg. And due to their alleged potency, they're not recommended for anyone under the age of 12. Social media influencer @underratedhijabi has already tried the confectionary, describing it as like 'a metal road at the back of my throat'. In a viral video, she theatrically bursts into a series of convulsions seconds after popping it into her mouth and has to quickly spit it out. Not to be deterred, MailOnline's Assistant Science Editor, Jonathan Chadwick, got hold of a packet – although just one of the balls was more than enough. I love super-sour candy, having grown up guzzling the likes of Jelly Belly Sours, Dweebs, Haribo Tangfastics and Swizzels Refreshers. But I'm a bit nervous about the Black Death, which has already put a 10-year-old girl in hospital after it burnt her throat. Black Death are exclusively available at Mr Simms – the 'Olde Sweet Shoppe' known for its retro-looking wood-panelled physical stores across England. When I get my sample, I notice on the packet it says Black Death sweets are 'not suitable for children under 12 years of age'. 'CAUTION: Excessive consumption within a brief time frame may cause temporary mouth and/or stomach irritation,' it adds. I'm instantly reminded of 77X42, the small lemon sweet from an episode of 'The Simpsons' that is so sour it can only be contained in a magnetic field. Among Black Death's ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup and malic acid – the compound responsible for the tart flavour in fruits and vegetables, such as rhubarb. There's also citric acid, which is generally recognised as safe as a food additive – but is also used as a de-scaler in household cleaning products. The packaging says: 'Warning: Not suitable for children under 12 years of age'. Its aroma is described as 'of sugar, acid and lemon' I'm reminded of 77X42, the small lemon sweet from an episode of 'The Simpsons' that is so sour it can only be contained in a magnetic field Also included is black iron oxide, which sounds pretty ominous but is an approved, commonly-used colourant used in the food industry. It gives the sweets a jet black appearance, like little charcoal lumps (if it weren't for the heavy dusting of chunky acid crystals over them). Unlike the hysterical social media influencer, I'm forbidden from spitting out Black Death once I put it in my mouth (it is a taste test after all!) For the first two seconds, it doesn't really seem that sour at all, but the zingy effect very suddenly registers. The only thing I can compare it to is taking a big bite out of a pink grapefruit, peel and all – not really that pleasant. I get all the physiological symptoms, including wincing and puckered mouth – although not quite to the extent of Homer Simpson. It's easily the sourest sweet I've ever had, but I don't quite get the urge to spit it out. Somehow this goes against the human body's innate rejection response for sour things, which are detected by special receptor cells in taste buds. Thankfully, the ferociously sour taste doesn't last for the entire time that you're sucking the little black ball. After about 20-30 seconds, just as you think you can't take any more, it suddenly shifts from ultra-sour to fruity sweet. It seems that the crusty white exterior crystals are what gives the sweet its astringency – but once you've sucked through them the endurance test is basically over. Finally, once you get to the centre, you get an extra little burst of sourness – although nothing compared with the initial hit. To be honest, having seen the histrionics of @underratedhijabi, I'm a tad disappointed that Black Death sweets aren't a lot more potent. I guess the next step up from Black Death is confectionary containing inedible acids that are so toxic they could seriously harm someone. So unless we enter the fictional realm of Willy Wonka or The Simpsons, Black Death is probably as acidic as we're going to get. However, I wouldn't recommend eating several of these in one go, or leaving them lying around for any unsuspecting child to encounter. According to scientists, excess exposure to acid can burn through the tender skin on the tongue and cheeks – so approach with caution. Sourness is related to the acidity of food, which is often caused by bacterial fermentation and typically evokes a rejection response. Edible acids that are naturally found in fruits and vegetables include malic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid. There's also acetic acid (found in vinegar), oxalic acid (found in tea, cocoa and pepper) and benzoic acid (found in cranberries, prunes and plums. Meanwhile, inedible acids (those that are harmful or unsafe to consume) include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. The sourness of substances is rated relative to dilute hydrochloric acid, which has a sourness index of 1 and is extremely toxic and corrosive. By comparison, tartaric acid has a sourness index of 0.7, citric acid an index of 0.46, and carbonic acid an index of 0.06.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut Swaps Hot Dogs For This Salty Snack In Memorial Day Comeback
Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut is switching gears from hot dogs to something a little lighter, but just as challenging. Popcorn. Ahead of his next competition, The Blast caught up with Joey Chestnut, who opened up about the unique prep, the physical toll, and why popcorn might look easy, but isn't. Joey Chestnut Says Popcorn Challenge Is All About Rhythm Raising Cane's/MEGA 'Popcorn, it's easy to eat a lot of it. It's just hard to eat it quick,' Chestnut explained. 'The quick is the trick. I gotta find the right rhythm with drinking the water and controlling my breathing.' Advertisement Chestnut revealed he's been practicing and even broke a record in one of his prep sessions. 'I've gotten three practices in, and one of them I was able to break a record,' he said. 'I'm hoping that I can duplicate that.' But success, he says, hinges on staying calm. 'Sometimes it's easy to get excited, and I try to do things to get to the next step a little bit quick. So I gotta take big handfuls, control my breathing. I took a big handful, and I tried to breathe through my nose, and inhaled popcorn,' he laughed. 'It's relearning how to eat popcorn.' Butter, Burps, And The Last Two Minutes The physical demands of eating mass quantities of popcorn might be different from hot dogs, but they come with their own challenges. Advertisement 'I've had to learn to get comfortable swallowing a ridiculous amount of popcorn in my mouth at one time and trying to swallow it with a sip of water,' Chestnut said. 'I convince myself it's mostly air. Once it gets into my stomach, I get a couple big burps sometimes. I have to be careful, make sure that nothing comes out.' He added, 'The last two minutes are always the hardest. My body's like, 'What are you doing to me?' I'll be covered in butter and sweat, and that's when I look my worst, but that's when I need to do my best.' Joey Chestnut Explains How He Stays Mentally Sharp And The Recovery Process Instagram | Joey Chestnut Despite his years of experience, Chestnut admits he still gets nervous. 'Absolutely nervous. I want to do well,' he said. 'If I let the nerves take over, I don't do well. I just stay calm, breathe, and go one step at a time. It's just like a mental game.' Advertisement He also relies on the crowd to push him through the final stretch. 'I feed off the energy of the audience. They're going to be yelling at me. That helps. It's hard, but it's fun.' When it comes to post-contest recovery, Chestnut says popcorn is far more forgiving than other events. 'With hot dogs or bratwurst or bologna, I'm bloated for a day and a half. But this one will be pretty cool. It's easy on the body.' However, there is one competition you won't catch him at. 'There used to be a raw oyster eating contest in New Orleans,' he said. 'I always used an excuse like, 'Oh, I'm getting ready for another contest,' so I can't do that one. But really? The texture, the oversaltiness… it would get to me. So I've stayed away.' Joey Gears Up To Attempt Popcorn World Record Live In 2022, Chestnut shattered the previous popcorn-eating record by downing 32 servings, each weighing 24 ounces, surpassing the former mark of 28.5 servings set in Las Vegas the year before. Advertisement Now, this Memorial Day, the competitive eating legend is heading to Rural King in Terre Haute, Indiana, for a record-breaking spectacle you won't want to miss. The Memorial Day Popcorn Challenge will take place at 4651 South US Highway 41, where Chestnut will attempt to break his own official world record for popcorn eating. Joey Chestnut To Devour Popcorn And Delight Fans At Rural King's Family-Friendly Memorial Day Event Instagram | Joey Chestnut The event runs from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with food trucks, live music, and family games leading up to the main attraction at 1:00 PM, when Chestnut takes center stage. 'This event is about bringing fun to our communities,' Phil Reiter, Rural King Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce, said. 'Our free popcorn has always been a fan favorite, and partnering with Joey Chestnut, the best in the world, is the perfect way to celebrate that tradition.' Famous for his 16 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest wins and more than 55 competitive eating world records, Chestnut is ready to see how much popcorn he can devour in just eight minutes.
Medscape
12-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Biomarkers Guide Baked Milk Tolerance in Allergic Kids
Introducing baked milk (BM) products carried some risk in children with cow's milk allergy (CMA), but biomarkers such as high casein–skin prick test, CA-specific immunoglobulin E (CM-sIgE), casein-sIgE, and certain ratios (alpha lactalbumin–sIgE/total IgE) may help identify children more likely to tolerate BM safely. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a prospective interventional trial to assess biomarkers that can predict the safe introduction of BM in high-risk children with CMA. They recruited 50 children (62% boys) aged 1 to ≤ 6 years with a history of CMA; these children's diets between June 2016 and December 2018 did not include BM or milk traces. High casein-skin prick test for CM and components (casein, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin), CM-sIgE, CM-sIgG4, and a basophil activation test were performed at diagnosis. The children underwent a BM–oral food challenge (BM-OFC) targeting a 1-g cumulative dose of CM protein. Those who tolerated the BM-OFC underwent CM-OFC to confirm their CMA status. TAKEAWAY: A casein-sIgE level < 5.7 kU/L predicted BM tolerance, with sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 88%, respectively. A CM-sIgE level < 8.5 kU/L also predicted BM tolerance, with both sensitivity and specificity being 72%. A casein-skin prick test wheal size of ≤ 5 mm, an alpha-lactalbumin-sIgE/total IgE ratio of ≤ 0.05, and a casein-sIgG4/casein-sIgE ratio of ≤ 0.1 were predictors of tolerance in the BM-OFC, with good sensitivity and specificity. Significant differences were recorded in the basophil activation test 'net' analysis, where patients allergic to BM had a higher percentage of CD63+ cells than those tolerant to BM ( P = .0227) when basophils were stimulated with 0.001 mg/mL of CM. IN PRACTICE: 'A combination of biomarkers and clinical history, especially a previous history of anaphylaxis with baked or hidden allergens, is likely to aid in distinguishing highly reactive patients,' the authors of the study wrote. 'A CM-sIgE level lower than 8.5 kUA/L and/or casein-sIgE level lower than 5.7 kUA/L can help to predict tolerance.' SOURCE: Domínguez O, PhD, with the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain, was the lead author of the study, which was published online on May 5 in Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology . LIMITATIONS: The sample size of this study was relatively small. Physicians chose the medication during OFCs, which may have resulted in treatment variations among children. DISCLOSURES: This study received funding from the Spanish Pediatric Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology and the Catalan Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
