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Tongue-shaped, tar-tinged: Ice cream dye sparks concerns among parents

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 08:00

The ″Tongue-shaped Ice Bar,″ imported from China was first introduced to Korea in September. [CHAE HYE-SEON]

A chewy, tongue-shaped ice cream that has taken hold in Korean playgrounds and convenience stores is heightening anxieties among parents about synthetic food dyes, just as the government readies its next review of the additives allowed in children’s snacks.

A parent surnamed Park said they bought the snack for their elementary school child because it seemed harmless enough — until they checked the label.

The vivid colors of the "Tongue-shaped Ice Bar," they discovered, come from tar-based dyes that have long prompted debate over safety.

“My kid asked for it because it’s trending, so I bought it without thinking much about it,” Park said. “But I don’t plan to buy it again.”

As the brightly colored frozen treat climbs Korea’s sales charts, public anxiety about its ingredients has grown.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Monday it will begin a broad reassessment in January of food colorants permitted, including the tar dyes used in the tongue-shaped ice cream from China. The agency last conducted such a review in 2019.

The review will examine the scientific evidence behind each approved dye and reassess current limits. Korea allows nine types of tar dyes for food use. Two of them — FD&C Red 4 and Red 102 — are prohibited in children’s products such as cookies and ice cream under the Special Act on Safety Control of Children’s Dietary Life.

The ″Tongue-shaped Ice Bar″ is stocked at a convenience store in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 22. [CHAE HYE-SEON]

The frozen treat has become a particular flashpoint. Since its introduction in September, the product has sold more than 5 million units, propelled by videos on YouTube and other platforms showing its rubbery texture and tongue-like appearance.

At a convenience store in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, elementary school students said the treat is “something everyone has tried at least once these days.” One store owner said it sells so quickly that he “can’t keep it on the shelves.”

The revelations about its ingredients, including tar dyes FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Yellow 5 and FD&C Red 40, however, have unsettled many parents.

On local online forums, some said they regretted tracking down the snack when demand peaked.

“So many kids have eaten it because it’s trending, and I’m worried,” one parent wrote. Another said, “I checked the inventory and bought it on purpose, and now I feel betrayed.”

The spread of self-serve snack shops — popular among children and teenagers and often stocked with inexpensive imported candies — has amplified those concerns.

“When we go to a self-serve snack store, my kids reach only for those made in China,” said one mother.

Parents share their opinions on the popular ″Tongue-shaped Ice Bar″ snack on online forums. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Debates over tar dyes are not new. Food companies in Korea generally avoid them to sidestep customer backlash. Regulators abroad have also begun to tighten oversight. In April, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan to phase out six tar dyes, including FD&C Blue 1, by 2026.

The Korea Food Research Institute notes that FD&C Yellow 5 has been linked to asthma concerns in the European Union, and that FD&C Blue 1 may contribute to hyperactivity in children.

Ha Sang-do, a professor of food science and technology at Chung-Ang University, said the principle for additives such as dyes should be “the less, the better.”

“Now that the United States is regulating them, Korea should pay attention,” Ha said.

For now, the Food Ministry maintains that the dyes permitted in local products remain safe. Officials cite a 2019 government assessment showing that actual consumption levels were far below the acceptable daily limit.

Still, some medical experts urge caution. Oh Soo-yeon, an internal medicine professor at CHA University, said tar dyes may alter gut microbiota or cause DNA damage in certain conditions.

“It’s best to check product labels carefully and avoid items whose colors are excessively vivid because of dyes," Dr. Oh said.

Oh Sang-woo, a professor of medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, said that “neither natural nor artificial colorants used in ice cream are guaranteed to be harmless" and noted that many treats containing them also come with high sugar levels.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHAE HYE-SEON [[email protected]]