South Korean Restaurant Owner Fined Over Sorbet Served With Ants
The owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea has avoided jail after being fined 15 million won for serving sorbet topped with dried ants. Prosecutors had requested a one-year prison term and a higher fine. Authorities said the restaurant served ants imported from the United States and Thailand in thousands of desserts since 2021. Tests reportedly found heavy-metal levels in the ants that exceeded limits set for edible insects. Eating insects is accepted in parts of South Korean cuisine, but only approved species may be sold for consumption under the country’s food laws. The restaurant said the chef used ants for their acidic flavour and did not realise they required special approval. The court cited the possible health risk but considered the owner’s lack of previous convictions and disputes over the number of ants used when imposing the fine.
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