- People drop toothpicks into the sizzling oil and cover them with cheese
- South Korean health officials warn that there are unknown risks associated with eating the aids
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A new trend circulating on social media involving people frying toothpicks, seasoning them with cheese and eating them has health officials concerned about the unknown risks that may come with consuming the dinner table staple.
South Korean officials issued a health warning on Wednesday urging people not to eat toothpicks, which are made from cornstarch or sweet potato and dyed green with food coloring.
Online videos show people dropping the utensil into the sizzling oil, causing it to shrivel and curl into a shape similar to curly French fries.
Then guests season the fried snack with cheese or herbs.
The videos have racked up thousands of likes on X, Instagram and TikTok.
A new trend on social media is for people to fry toothpicks, season them with cheese and eat them
Unlike in the United States, South Korean toothpicks are not made of wood, but of ingredients that are considered environmentally friendly and biodegradable
Following their popularity, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a tweet: ‘Their safety as food has not been verified.
“Please don’t eat them.”
The ministry’s health advice states: ‘Starch toothpicks are not intended to be eaten.
‘Lately, a video of starch toothpicks, a sanitary product, fried in oil and consumed as food, has been trending on social media.
‘Starch toothpicks are ‘hygiene products’, not food.
‘The safety of sanitary products is managed according to standards and specifications for ingredients, production methods and applications, but their safety as food has not been verified.
‘Do not swallow!’
A video from a popular YouTube creator with the username @toozidiary described their taste as similar to “rice cakes.”
“It’s very crispy,” one TikTok user said in a video while nibbling the fried treat.
Unlike in the United States, South Korean toothpicks are not made from wood, but from ingredients that are considered environmentally friendly and biodegradable.
The oral hygiene product in South Korea also contains sorbitol, a sugary alcohol found in berries and fruits.
It contains about a third fewer calories than sugar and is 60 percent as sweet.
Consuming large amounts of the ingredient can cause gas, diarrhea and abdominal bloating and acts as a natural laxative.
Consuming too much cornstarch can also cause digestive problems.
The ingredient is commonly used in a range of products as a thickener and to make corn syrup and other sugars.
It contains many carbohydrates and calories, but few important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.
Despite the toothpicks’ food-safe ingredients, health officials emphasize that the toothpicks’ safety as food has not been evaluated and may pose unknown health risks.