Doctor Warns About Dangers Of New Social Media Trend And Offers Safe Way For Kids To Partake

Social media is a fantastic way to learn new things. We love to follow food bloggers who give us all the tips and tricks to create delicious meals. But sometimes, social media influencers introduce us to hacks that are not as great as the original and can be dangerous.

Tanghulu is an Asian street food where vendors take fresh fruit and dip it in molten hot sugar. The sugar then crystallizes and creates a hard candy coating. It’s a beautiful dessert and looks quite delicious. In order to get the sugar to a high enough temperature, it must be heated on the stove. Unfortunately, some TikTokers have come up with a hack to make Tanghulu in the microwave. This dangerous social media trend is causing severe burns.

The Social Media Trend Looks Like Fun But Can Be Dangerous If Done Improperly

Dr. Colleen Ryan said in a release from Shriners Children that getting sugar to its 300-degree hard crack stage in the microwave is extremely dangerous. She’s seen two patients in a two-week period with severe burns from the sugar.

“When sugar is melted in the microwave like this, it has a high heat capacity, meaning it stores the heat energy,” said Dr. Ryan. “If spilled, it can create a severe scald burn, much like spilling hot soup, but it can cause a much deeper burn because of sugar’s properties. Kids or teens can quickly grab the pot or bowl, and the hot fluid splashes, spills, or splatters over them. The result is one or several small but very deep burns, often in critical areas such as the hand or the face.”

Dr. Ryan warns parents to monitor their children’s social media use and pay particular attention to trends. This particular trend is fine as long as kids use a stove with their parents’ supervision. Never try the microwave to save time.

“It can seem like a fun, harmless activity for kids to try making the treat themselves. There is an opportunity to prevent this injury if everyone is aware of this danger. Parents should be careful and make sure their children have learned proper cooking safety and take preventive measures.”

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