South Korea’s food ministry has urged people not to eat green fried toothpicks after TikTok users shared videos of themselves gobbling the potentially deadly sticks.
South Korea’s food ministry has urged people not to eat green fried toothpicks after TikTok users shared videos of themselves gobbling the potentially deadly sticks
When they are deep-fried, the tooth cleaners, which are made from either sweet potato or corn starch, resemble jade-coloured, skinny curly fries.
Clips showing people eating them have received thousands of likes and shares on social media, and show the toothpicks being cooked in oil and topped with seasoning such as powdered cheese.
In a post on X, the ministry of food and drug safety reminded people the toothpicks’ safety “as food has not been verified”.
It added: “Please do not eat (them.)”
The toothpicks, which are seen as being environmentally friendly and biodegradable, are often on tables in Korean restaurants and can also be used to pick up finger food.
Their colour comes from food colouring used to give the toothpicks their green hue.
According to local media, an ingredient called sorbitol is used, and while it is harmless in small amounts, it can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and inflammation if over-consumed.
It has been claimed young children have been requesting toothpick fries as a result.
It’s far from the first time a TikTok food trend has sparked a warning from officials or healthcare professionals.
Doctors last year warned people not to rub castor oil on their eyes, warning that it is not an effective treatment for dryness, cataracts or poor vision as some TikTok users were claiming.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service in Britain have also issued a warning against people using “explosion filters” to create videos in which online users’ appliances appeared to burst into flames.