Dangerous trend on social media in South Korea: Authorities warn against eating toothpicks

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Deodorant tests courage, holds your breath until you pass out and turns young people into burglars: social media always creates dangerous trends and challenges.

A new trend currently making waves in South Korea is once again raising questions about the intelligence of social media users. Countless people film themselves cooking toothpicks and then eating them.

The videos have now brought food and drug safety authorities to the scene, as the Straits Times reports. A warning was issued on Wednesday advising against eating toothpicks. The warning mainly concerns green toothpicks made from corn starch, which are popular in South Korea. The toothpicks are only suitable for hygienic purposes.

Toothpicks are not considered food in South Korea and are therefore not subject to safety regulations. Officials stressed that while the toothpicks are usually made from edible ingredients, their safety cannot be guaranteed.

“You look delicious”

In the videos, the toothpicks are fried, covered in various sauces or used as instant noodles. The most clicked short YouTube video was viewed approximately 4.4 million times.

The consumption of toothpicks is hotly debated online. Some users express concerns, others are fascinated by the idea or respond with humor. “I feel like I shouldn’t be eating them but they look delicious,” says one comment.

Another user expresses concern. “I heard that there is a warning on the packaging of the toothpicks advising against frying them,” he says.

It’s not just in South Korea that social media trends are worrying authorities. Last year, the Italian competition authority opened an investigation against the video platform Tiktok over a challenge classified as dangerous. Users pinched their faces until bruises and scars appeared.

Source: Blick