Michelin-starred Seoul restaurant fined for using ants as garnish

A two Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul, Evett, has been fined for using ants as a dessert garnish. The restaurant's owner received a 15 million won fine, and the operating company was fined 10 million won for violating the Food Sanitation Act. This violation occurred because ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption in South Korea. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety discovered the practice through online reviews and photographs. The owner claimed unawareness of the prohibition, as ants are consumed elsewhere. Tests also revealed heavy metals exceeding standards in the ants used. Prosecutors had sought a prison term and a larger fine for the owner, but the judge considered the owner's admission of guilt and lack of prior record.

Seoul prosecutors fined the operator of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Evett 10 million won and its chief executive, Ginny Kim, 15 million won for serving a dessert topped with ants. The ants, imported from the US and Thailand, are not an approved food ingredient in South Korea, and the restaurant failed to obtain temporary approval from the ministry of food and drug safety. The court cited the duration of the offense, promotional use of the ants, and the presence of heavy metals above permitted levels in the insects as reasons for the penalty. Prosecutors had initially sought a prison term for the chief executive. The restaurant served the ant-topped dessert from April 2021 until January 2025.