Deep-fried toothpicks are the latest TikTok food trend – here’s why people can’t get enough

These guys clearly misinterpreted the term “eating utensils.”

South Korean health officials are warning the public not to eat deep-fried toothpicks after videos of the controversial practice started blowing up on social media, Reuters reported.

“This is not a product to eat,” the Asian nation’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety wrote in a recent PSA uploaded to X. “Their safety has not been verified.”

The bizarre pastime involves frying the oral hygiene accessories in oil so they puff up and corkscrew in the pan like poor man’s curly fries, as seen in videos circulating TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

They’re then adorned with powdered cheese and other seasonings and consumed.

A popular YouTube creator, who posts under the handle @toozidiary, described their flavor as similar to “rice cakes” in a video.

This practice might seem like a symptom of pica, a condition characterized by eating inedible objects.

However, unlike their US counterparts, the majority of toothpicks in South Korea are comprised of corn or potato starch mixed with sorbitol, a sugary alcohol found in fruits that also acts as a natural laxative in large concentrations.

It’s apparently perfect for satisfying one’s sweet tooth.

These eco-friendly components make the toothpicks both biodegradable and soluble in water a la dissolvable packing peanuts.

Meanwhile, food coloring is used to lend a green hue to the toothpicks, which are often used to eat finger foods at South Korean restaurants.

Despite their seemingly environmentally friendly attributes, health officials warn against consuming these dental utensils as they haven’t been approved for human consumption.

Crunching toothpicks is part of a larger trend called “Mukbang videos,” in which gluttonous gastronauts eat excessive amounts of exotic foods for social media clout.

The Chinese government banned these hedonistic displays in 2021 in an effort to discourage food waste.