A man has managed to eat three Carolina Reaper chilli peppers in under 10 seconds, in turn breaking the world record - though not without paying the price, judging from the expression on his face afterwards.
Mike Jack set a spicy new world record by chowing down on the three chillies in just 9.72 seconds - bringing the time under 10 seconds for the first time ever.
Carolina Reaper chillies are officially the hottest in the world, and can be up to 440 times hotter than a typical jalapeno, according to Guinness World Records.
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Mike, a chilli eater and world record holder, ate three of the blighters to set a new record - which hasn't been broken in six years.
Video footage shows the Canadian psyching himself up while he stares down the three bright red peppers in front of him on the table.
As soon as the timer begins, he shovels them quickly into his mouth and chews, grimacing with pain.
Eventually he swallows the last of his super spicy mouthful and puts out his tongue to show the camera they're all gone.
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He then grabs his chest in agony and wretches, while he and the person behind the camera work out if he's managed to do it.
Hugging a bucket, he says through a forced smile: "I did it, I finally did it! Oh yeah... It feels so good, but hurts so bad at the same time."
After some time, he adds breathlessly: "I was really concentrating on opening my throat wide this time. I think that's what did it."
Mike has a YouTube channel dedicated to chilli eating competitions, and already held three records before his latest: most Bhut Jolokia chilli peppers eaten in two minutes (246 grams/8.67 oz); most Bhut Jolokia chilli peppers eaten in one minute (97 grams/3.42 oz); and fastest time to eat three Bhut Jolokia chillies (9.75 seconds).
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Guinness World Records said: "Mike attempted this record in London, Ontario, Canada, on 21 November 2020.
"The attempt was done at his home in line with Covid-19 social distancing measures. His wife, Jamie Jack, acted as his witness, timekeeper, and coach.
"For the purposes of this record, each chilli had to weigh at least 5 grams (0.18 oz), and a certificate proving they were in fact Carolina Reaper chillies had to be provided."
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The Carolina Reaper chilli rates at an average of 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), according to tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina, USA.
"This means Mike consumed an approximate total of 4.9 million SHU in mere seconds - a feat that left his taste buds more than tingling!" Guinness World Records added.
"To put that into perspective, the Jalapeño pepper ranges from 2,000 to around 10,000 SHU."
Featured Image Credit: Guinness World Records