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British supermarket Iceland has launched two new ready meals made with the ‘world’s hottest chilli,’ Pepper X.

Pepper X has 2.69 million heat units on the Scoville scale, which makes it 53,760% hotter than a jalapeño. It is a cultivar of Capsicum chilli, bred by the American chilli breeder Ed Currie, the creator of the Carolina Reaper. In 2023, Guinness World Records recognised Pepper X as the world's hottest chilli pepper.

Iceland says that the two new ready meals, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chilli Mac & Cheese, are 'so hot' that it has become the ‘first’ UK supermarket to introduce an age restriction on ready meals. The chilli has only ever been available in sauce format until now.

Matthew Worsley, head development chef at Iceland Foods, said: “Our customers love spice, and they are always pushing us to turn up the heat! So, this time we have developed a range that will not disappoint. Our Pepper X range is unlike anything we’ve ever offered to our customers before. It’s intense, it’s fiery and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.”

Worsley continued: “With intense heat comes great responsibility, so to ensure only the most experienced spice enthusiasts can take on the challenge, we’ve decided to limit sales to customers aged 18 and over”.

The new meals are available to purchase at The Food Warehouse and Iceland stores across the UK now.

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