Don’t eat fried toothpicks, warns ministry

Unsafe munchy: The fried green toothpick which went viral following a social media trend, is not safe, says the health ministry. — Reuters

A health warning from South Korea’s food ministry has urged people not to eat fried toothpicks made of starch in a shape resembling curly fries, after the practice went viral in social media posts.

Video clips showing people consuming the deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning such as powdered cheese have racked up thousands of likes and shares on TikTok and Instagram.