"South Korea Issues Warning Against Trend of Eating Fried Toothpicks"

South Korea's food ministry has issued a health warning against the viral social media trend of consuming deep-fried starch toothpicks resembling curly fries, cautioning that their safety as food has not been verified and urging people not to eat them. The toothpicks, made from sweet potato or corn starch and colored green, are typically used as a sanitary product in restaurants and for picking up finger foods. The trend, popularized on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, has raised concerns about food safety and the potential health risks associated with consuming non-food items.