Iceland Foods has introduced two age-restricted ready meals featuring Pepper X, the Guinness World Records-recognised hottest chilli in the world. The launch positions Iceland as the first UK supermarket to impose an 18+ restriction on ready meals.

The Pepper X chilli, developed by American breeder Ed Currie, registers 2.69 million Scoville heat units — making it more than 50,000% hotter than a jalapeño. Until now, Pepper X had only been available in sauce format.

The new range includes:

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chilli Mac & Cheese

Matthew Worsley, Head Development Chef at Iceland Foods, commented:

“Our customers love spice, and they are always pushing us to turn up the heat. The Pepper X range is intense, fiery, and certainly not for the faint-hearted. With such heat comes responsibility, so we’ve limited sales to those aged 18 and over.”

The launch responds to a growing market for extreme flavour experiences and novelty products, catering to adventurous consumers seeking unique and intense taste profiles.

The Pepper X ready meals are now available at Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores across the UK, highlighting the retailer’s continued focus on innovative NPD that captures consumer attention and drives in-store traffic.