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“Please Don’t Eat Them”: South Korea Food Ministry Urges People To Stop Frying Toothpicks
As it turns out, eating fried toothpicks made of starch is not a healthy snack, health authorities have warned.
South Korea’s food ministry reportedly issued a health warning urging people not to eat fried toothpicks made of starch in a shape resembling curly fries after the practice went viral on social media.
Video clips showcased adventurous eaters consuming the deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning such as powdered cheese, amassing thousands of likes and shares on TikTok and Instagram, NBC News reported.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday (January 24), the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety wrote: “Their safety as food has not been verified. Please do not eat (them).”
RELATED:
South Korea’s food ministry reportedly issued a health warning urging people not to eat fried toothpicks
Image credits: 배츗츄/Naver
Image credits: 배츗츄/Naver
Viral videos of the toothpicks, which are meant to be sanitary products, show them being fried in oil and eaten. Food coloring has reportedly been used to impart a green hue to the toothpicks, made from sweet potato or corn starch, which are seen as being environmentally friendly and biodegradable, as per NBC news.
The toothpicks in question are often used in restaurants in South Korea, often utilized to pick up finger foods.
According to local media, an ingredient called sorbitol is used — and while it is harmless in small amounts, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and inflammation if overconsumed, as per Sky News.
Video clips showcased adventurous eaters consuming the deep-fried starch toothpicks with seasoning such as powdered cheese
Image credits: 배츗츄/Naver
Image credits: 배츗츄/Naver
“Their safety as food has not been verified. Please do not eat (them),” the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety warned
Image credits: 배츗츄/Naver
#녹말이쑤시개 먹는 제품이 아닙니다! ❌
녹말이쑤시개는 #위생용품 입니다!
위생용품은 성분·제조방법·용도에 대한 기준·규격에 따라 안전성이 관리되고 있으나 #식품으로서 안전성은 검증된 바 없습니다. #섭취하지마세요! ❌ pic.twitter.com/OPNMDc1ofq— 식품의약품안전처 (@TheMFDS) January 24, 2024
As a result of the viral trend, it’s been claimed that young children have been requesting toothpick fries as a result.
South Korea has produced many food-related trends on the internet, with the biggest known phenomenon being “mukbangs.”
You can watch a clip of the trend below:
Image credits: ABC-CBN News
A mukbang, also known as an eating show, is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience.
Fame and food-hungry Koreans have become famous through mukbangs, with thousands of Koreans tuning into these online broadcasts and even sending money to performers if entertained, CNBC reported back in 2015.
“Looks like sour gummy worms candy to me,” a reader argued
What do you think ?
The Original Bruno 10 months ago
These aren't tide pods. If I understand correctly, these are artificially sweetened, food-quality starch that puffs up when fried into something between a gummy worm and a cheese doodle. I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but they're also not something you'd figure on being poisonous, like Tide Pods. I'm not sure evolution wants to stamp out curiosity.
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Giraffy Window 10 months ago (edited)
Ok you know what? They're made of starch, they fry up exactly the same as rice noodles (SO GOOD), spring roll rice papers, and shrimp chips. Looks like food, cooks like food, marketed as made from biodegradable food ingredients. What they're made of is normally a very common item to consume, so naturally they'd give them a go. The only "inedible" thing about them is the sorbitol, and if you don't know that's an active ingredient in laxatives and as a medicinal sweetener, it really does just read like another food preservative. This is NOT Darwinism, this is poor marketing and bad package labeling.
Lunaofthenest (She/they) 10 months ago
The catch is that sorbitol. As someone who ate three products, all containing sorbitol, in the same day over about 12 hours, I can tell you that they are about to realize why that's no bueno. That stuff should not be legal (ftr, it was 2 sugar free protein bars and a shake/ drink thing) and the outcome is insane amounts of painful bloating, gas and eventually, pretty impressive diarrhea.
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Deborah B 10 months ago
Okay... if people want to eat this, just make some food quality starch things for them to fry, and sell them for the same price. "Don't eat that, it's bad for you" has not worked with any other junk food, so try "Those ones are toxic, these ones are safe"
Der Kommissar 10 months ago
eating a starch toothpick cannot possibly be as bad as eating a real wooden toothpick
Load More Replies... The Original Bruno 10 months ago
These aren't tide pods. If I understand correctly, these are artificially sweetened, food-quality starch that puffs up when fried into something between a gummy worm and a cheese doodle. I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but they're also not something you'd figure on being poisonous, like Tide Pods. I'm not sure evolution wants to stamp out curiosity.
Load More Replies... Giraffy Window 10 months ago (edited)
Ok you know what? They're made of starch, they fry up exactly the same as rice noodles (SO GOOD), spring roll rice papers, and shrimp chips. Looks like food, cooks like food, marketed as made from biodegradable food ingredients. What they're made of is normally a very common item to consume, so naturally they'd give them a go. The only "inedible" thing about them is the sorbitol, and if you don't know that's an active ingredient in laxatives and as a medicinal sweetener, it really does just read like another food preservative. This is NOT Darwinism, this is poor marketing and bad package labeling.
Lunaofthenest (She/they) 10 months ago
The catch is that sorbitol. As someone who ate three products, all containing sorbitol, in the same day over about 12 hours, I can tell you that they are about to realize why that's no bueno. That stuff should not be legal (ftr, it was 2 sugar free protein bars and a shake/ drink thing) and the outcome is insane amounts of painful bloating, gas and eventually, pretty impressive diarrhea.
Load More Replies... Deborah B 10 months ago
Okay... if people want to eat this, just make some food quality starch things for them to fry, and sell them for the same price. "Don't eat that, it's bad for you" has not worked with any other junk food, so try "Those ones are toxic, these ones are safe"
Der Kommissar 10 months ago
eating a starch toothpick cannot possibly be as bad as eating a real wooden toothpick
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