Eating fried toothpicks: this Korean trend seen on social networks which worries doctors: Femme Actuelle Le MAG

It’s no longer a secret that the appearance of social networks has had astonishing repercussions. This allows us to be open to the world with access to information and trends in the four corners of the planet. But it also opened the door to completely crazy challenges. Some people do not hesitate to propose challenges which can sometimes be dangerous, for the sole purpose of getting people talking about them. And in recent days, it has been a new trend that has been talked about and is causing great concern. It does not take place in France, but on the other side of the planet, in South Korea. Internet users had fun frying plastic toothpicks and eating them. To do this, they put them in hot oil and these little pieces of green plastic, present in many restaurants across the country, grow in size as shown in the various videos published on social networks. Then, the South Koreans sprinkle them with sugar, powdered cheese, or even different spices. A taste that obviously pleases the most adventurous and that some do not hesitate to compare it to that of the famous rice cakes.

The government worried

And like every trend, it is widely used, which greatly worries health authorities. The latter seized on the phenomenon in order to warn of the dangers of consuming these small plastic objects. “This is not a product to eat. Their safety has not been verified.” wrote the Asian Ministry of Food and Drug Safety published on X, formerly Twitter. However, some tried to reassure. Unlike France or other countries around the world, these toothpicks would not be made of plastic or wood, but of corn or potato starch mixed with sorbitol, a sweet alcohol present in fruits so that they are more respectable for the environment. Although the components appear to be food-safe, the risk is nevertheless present.