Mukbang "deep-fried toothpick" becomes a trend, Korea has to issue a warning

As a recent mukbang trend in Korea, the dish "deep-fried toothpick" received many mixed opinions from the online community. This country has also taken steps to warn people about this dangerous dish.

The trend of "mukbang" (eating in front of the camera) on social networking platforms such as TikTok and YouTube is no longer strange to online users. With unique dishes or cooking methods, there are many unique eating trends that have become popular and are followed by many eaters to experience.

Recently, in Korea, an extremely unique "deep-fried toothpick" dish has appeared in abundance and has been followed by many creators specializing in food content. Accordingly, to prepare this bizarre dish, these people used a box of toothpicks used for Korean oral hygiene. Next, they fry these toothpicks in a pan filled with oil so that the toothpicks swell up like shrimp chips.

Notably, in a press release posted on December 23, the Korean Ministry of Food issued a health warning related to the trend of eating "deep-fried toothpicks" that is trending online. society in this country. "Toothpicks are classified as hygiene products, not food, so they have not been confirmed as safe for consumers," the ministry said.

Hygiene products are defined as products used every day, having direct or indirect contact with the body, such as disposable cups, cutlery, straws and even toothpicks.

The ministry emphasized that starch toothpicks are hygiene products regulated by standards on composition, production method and use, but their suitability as food has not yet been confirmed.

The warning message follows a viral trend as people post videos of themselves frying and eating these toothpicks. The activity is part of the ongoing "Mukbang" craze in South Korea, where individuals film themselves consuming too many different types of food.

Toothpicks made from sweet potato or corn starch and colored green to be environmentally friendly are often used in Korean restaurants and for picking up finger food. Therefore, basically, these toothpicks are made from natural organic ingredients, are biodegradable and soluble in water.

TikTok and Instagram are filled with videos of users enhancing the flavor of fried toothpicks, which resemble french fries after cooking. Despite the popularity of this trend, skeptics and critics still appear, questioning the appeal of eating toothpicks, which, unlike in the US, are not made of wood but are water-soluble. due to their starch content.

Although Mukbang has become popular as a form of online entertainment, providing a communal meal experience, a feeling of fullness without food consumption, and a calming effect on the mind, it has also become popular. associated with negative effects such as obesity, overeating, eating disorders, misconceptions about food and thinness, and poor table manners.

In response to the potential health risks associated with Mukbang, the Korean government attempted to introduce regulations in 2018 to prevent the promotion of binge eating and protect public health. However, these proposed regulations face strong opposition from citizens, who view them as an excessive exercise of government power.

As a result, the regulations were not passed, highlighting the challenges of balancing entertainment trends with concerns about their impact on public health.

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