Warning issued over 'glass fruit' trend as children end up hospitalised

A brand new foodie trend has taken the internet by storm in recent weeks - 'glass fruit'.

This week, however, medics have been forced to issue a stark warning about the dangers of taking part, after several children wound up in hospital.

The trend has seen hundreds of children suffering burns (Plan Shooting 2/Imazins)

It seems like every other week, social media users are hopping onto a brand new TikTok bandwagon when it comes to whipping up tasty treats.

And in almost all of these cases, experts are having to issue warnings about the risks involved in the weeks that follow.

I mean, look at the recent viral cucumber trend, for example - what started off as a TikToker recommending exciting new ways to spice up your salads resulted in an A&E visit for millions of part-takers, after they sliced their hands open using a mandolin.

And despite the video-sharing app being littered with lip-smacking air-fryer recipes, a doctor has recently lifted the lid on the 'serious health risks' that failing to wash your device after every use can pose.

As we say, however, this week it is the turn of 'glass fruit' to leave parents across the globe panicking.

Deriving from China - where it is commonly served as a desert known as 'Tanghulu' - 'glass fruit' describes pieces of fruit coated in a layer of melted sugar.

The solution is formed by melting sugar with water (Wengen Ling/Getty)

The syrup then crystallizes, leaving a hard layer for eaters to crunch their way through.

It isn't just the flavour of these candied fruits - which are often served on skewers - that sparked appeal, however, but the ease.

That's because you can actually make 'glass fruit' at home by melting sugar and water in the microwave before dipping in your strawberries, grapes, etc.

And that's exactly what hundreds of families have been doing recently, with a handful of children having recently paid the price for not allowing the boiling hot liquid to cool slightly before touching it with their bare hands.

As such, some youngsters have been rushed to hospital, prompting doctors to issue a harsh warning against taking part.

Boston-based surgeon Colleen Ryan MD recently told press: "When sugar is melted in the microwave like this, it has a high heat capacity, meaning it stores the heat energy.

The trend has seen some children sustaining severe burns (Plan Shooting 2/Imazins/Getty))

"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."

Dr. Marc Siegel - senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center - also chimed in on the discussion to recommend which measures parents should take if their child does get burned.

Siegel says clothes should be removed from the affected area immediately, and the skin washed with cool water.

He also warned mums and dads not to apply ice to the burn, and to seek medical attention in severe cases.

"Blistering is a second-degree burn and may respond to burn creams, but leathery (black, brown or white in color) may be third-degree and needs to be seen right away," he continued.