Denmark's food agency has recalled a popular South Korean instant ramen noodles brand, claiming they are so hot they might cause "acute poisoning".

Three Samyang Foods noodle products were assessed to have dangerous levels of capsaicin, the active component of chillies, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said in a statement on Tuesday.

The three products from Samyang's instant ramen line — Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Hot Chicken Stew — were being withdrawn from sale in Denmark.

The level in a single packet of the noodles was "so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning", the Danish body said.

"If you have the products, you should discard them or return them to the store where they were purchased," the statement added.

It issued a special warning against children eating the noodles, urging parents to contact the Poison Line if their little ones appeared to show "acute symptoms".

A puzzled consumer reached out to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and asked how the instant noodles could be legal, the agency said, after which it had a lab assessing the products and determined the three noodle brands could be harmful to health, instigating the recall.

Samyang products are hugely popular overseas, with the company's operating profit hitting a record high of over $US110 million ($165 million) in 2023.

Samyang Foods said it was the first time the company's products had been recalled because they were deemed too hot, and added that it would work to better understand local regulations in export markets.

"Currently, the products are being exported around the world, but this is the first time they have been recalled for this reason," a spokesperson for the company told AFP.

Samyang Foods saw its stock price soar 70 per cent in recent months after its buldak carbonara ramen went viral on TikTok, with the product becoming so popular in the United States there have been reports of shortages.

Celebrities such as Cardi B have posted stories online about searching for over 30 minutes to find the flavourful instant noodles.

The product was first launched in 2012 and became famous on social media as influencers engaged in the "Fire Noodles Challenge" — to finish one or more servings of the spicy ramen.

Spicy food challenges have been around for years.

From local chilli eating contests to restaurant walls of fame for those who finished extra hot dishes, people around the world have been daring each other to eat especially fiery foods.

Can spicy food really be a health hazard?

Spicy food can cause short-term health hazards such as digestive tract discomfort, headaches, and vomiting, according to Professor of Epidemiology Paul D Terry in an article for the Conversation.

However, there was no scientific consensus on the long-term impacts of spicy food on health, he wrote.

"Some of the outcomes examined in relation to spicy food consumption include obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heartburn and ulcers, psychological health, pain sensitivity and death from any cause — also called all-cause mortality.