Warning issued over latest TikTok craze of eating fried toothpicks
The toothpicks are made from potato starch and look like curly fries
A latest TikTok craze of eating deepfried toothpicks has prompted a warning that their safety as food has not been verified.
The tooth picks are made from sweet potatoes or food starch and not the less environmentally-friendly plastic versions.
The items are also made more edible by using seasoning such a powdered cheese.
The latest craze prompted a health warning from South Korea's food ministry which 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.
"Their safety as food has not been verified," the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a posting on Wednesday on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "Please do not eat (them)."