Michelin-starred restaurant owner in South Korea faces jail for serving ants in dessert

Prosecutors in South Korea are seeking a one-year prison sentence and a 20 million won fine for the owner and company of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul. The charges stem from violating the country's food sanitation act by serving a dessert topped with ants, which are not an approved food ingredient under local law. The restaurant allegedly imported and served dried ants from the US and Thailand for about four years, selling the ant-topped dessert approximately 12,200 times. The investigation was initiated after mentions of the dishes appeared on social media. The defense argued that the prosecution's estimate of ant usage was too high and that ants are used as an ingredient in other countries. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2nd.

The owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea is facing a potential one-year jail sentence. Seoul prosecutors requested the prison term at a court hearing for violating food safety regulations. The restaurant is accused of serving black ants, imported from Thailand and the US, atop a palate-cleansing sorbet to impart a sour taste. South Korean law permits the consumption of only 10 specific insect species, and black ants are not among them. An investigation was launched last year after authorities claimed the chef used three to five ants per dessert.

Prosecutors in South Korea are seeking a one-year jail sentence and a 20 million Korean won fine for the owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant. The owner is accused of using approximately 49,000 ants, imported from the US and Thailand, as a dessert garnish in various dishes over four years. This practice is illegal as ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption in South Korea. The case emerged after health officials discovered online reviews and photographs of dishes featuring ants. Investigators also found that the ants used contained significantly higher levels of heavy metals than typical edible insects. The owner admitted to serving ants but claimed they were a minor component of the menu and that diners were informed and could choose alternatives.