South Korea Urges Public to Avoid Consuming Trendy Fried Toothpicks

South Korea's food ministry has issued a health warning advising against consuming deep-fried starch toothpicks, shaped like curly fries, after viral social media posts showed people eating them with seasoning like powdered cheese. The ministry emphasized that the safety of these toothpicks as food has not been verified and urged people not to eat them, as they are a sanitary product not intended for consumption. The toothpicks, made from sweet potato or corn starch and colored green, are used in restaurants and for picking up finger foods, but the trend of consuming them has raised concerns about food safety and public health.