South Korea warns against social media trend of eating fried toothpicks

A person holds a ‘Fried green toothpick’ which went viral following a social media trend, against which South Korea’s food and drug safety authorities have issued warnings regarding its consumption, in Busan, South Korea, Jan 19, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. — b_chuchu_/@hee_2458 via X/via Reuters

SEOUL: 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.