A South Korean Michelin-starred restaurant owner could face jail time and steep fines for serving a sherbet dessert garnished with ants not approved under the country’s food safety laws.
Michelin Restaurant Owner Faces Jail Over Ant Dessert
The owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul faces fines and up to a year in prison for serving ants on a sherbet dessert, according to a CNN report by staff in Seoul, South Korea. Prosecutors, who did not name the restaurant, said it served roughly 49,000 ants across 12,200 dishes since 2021 using ants imported from the U.S. and Thailand.
Under South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act, only 10 insect species are approved for consumption, and ants require special authorization, per the report. Investigators also found the ants contained heavy metal levels up to 55 times the legal limit, CNN reported, citing the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Prosecutors are seeking a 20 million won fine, citing profits of 120 million won over four years. A verdict is expected in September.
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