--- description: They are made of corn or potato starch mixed with sorbitol. But health authorities are still advising people not to eat them. title: Why Eating Toothpicks Became a Viral Trend in South Korea image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad9d883eaa5e1821/698a4428cabb1db6cde522ad/korea-mukbang-toothpick-corn-starch.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [South Korea](/tag/south-korea/) ## South Korea Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Videos of South Koreans Eating Fried Toothpicks Have Gone Viral. Health Officials Want Them to Stop ## Video: South Korea’s Parliament Unanimously Passes Historic Dog Meat Ban [Watch (HLS stream): South Korea’s Parliament Unanimously Passes Historic Dog Meat Ban](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i1ho9dOJ.m3u8) (0:49)  _Published 2024-01-09. After decades of deliberation spanning multiple administrations, South Korea’s parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed a special bill to outlaw the dog meat industry—a move welcomed by animal rights advocates both domestic and worldwide._ by [Anna Gordon](/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jan 25, 2024 12:31 PM CUT  A screengrab from Ssot815's mukbang video featuring fried toothpicks. A screengrab from Ssot815's mukbang video featuring fried toothpicks.Ssot815/Youtube by [Anna Gordon](/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jan 25, 2024 12:31 PM CUT South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued a warning urging people to stop eating deep fried toothpicks. Videos of people preparing and eating the toothpicks have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram in recent months, and appear to be especially popular in South Korea. “This is not a product to eat!” South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety wrote in [a post on X](https://twitter.com/TheMFDS/status/1750063539405074502 "undefined"). “Their safety as food has not been verified!” In the videos appearing on social media, individuals can be seen frying toothpicks so that they appear [similar to curly fries](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxFqhGLQXzs "undefined"). But unlike the wooden toothpicks often found in the U.S., most toothpicks in South Korea are made of [corn or potato starch](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-warns-against-social-media-trend-eating-fried-toothpicks-2024-01-25/ "undefined") mixed with sorbitol, a sweet sugar alcohol found naturally in various fruits. Because of this, they are biodegradable and dissolve in water. The toothpicks also often have green food coloring added to them and are frequently used in restaurants. “[Mukbang” videos](https://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-rise-mukbang-eating-videos/story?id=100440506 "undefined"), which show content creators eating excessive amounts of strange or unusual foods, have grown extremely popular in South Korea in recent years. The emergence of fried toothpicks on social media is the latest example of “Mukbang” videos. In 2018, the South Korean government [attempted to impose regulations](https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html%5Fdir/2018/07/29/2018072900941.html "undefined") on these videos to prevent them from encouraging binge eating and harming public health. ### More From TIME The proposed regulations were never adopted because of a large backlash from citizens who viewed it as an overreach of government power. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6588422/eating-toothpicks-viral-trend-south-korea/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6588422/eating-toothpicks-viral-trend-south-korea/"},"headline":"Videos of South Koreans Eating Fried Toothpicks Have Gone Viral. 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