Owner of South Korea Michelin-starred restaurant faces jail for ant sorbet

A Michelin-starred restaurant owner in South Korea is facing up to a year in jail after prosecutors accused the eatery of violating food safety rules by serving sorbet topped with black ants, local media reported.

According to reports cited in a monitored public feed, Seoul prosecutors asked the court on Monday to impose a one-year prison sentence on the anonymous owner of the unnamed restaurant. Prosecutors also requested a 20 million won fine, or about $13,700, at a hearing before the Seoul Western District Court, Newsis News Agency reported.

The case centres on a palate-cleansing sorbet that prosecutors say was garnished with black ants “to add a sour taste.” Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption, including grasshoppers and brown mealworm larvae. The ants in question were allegedly imported from Thailand and the United States, according to a statement from the food safety ministry.

Local media said the dessert was served with “three to five” ants on top. Authorities said their investigation began last year and that the restaurant had made about 12,000 sales worth 120 million won, or roughly $81,000, over nearly four years until January 2025.

An image released as evidence by the ministry showed a tin labelled “Cuisine Black Ants,” according to the feed summary. The defendant’s lawyers argued that the ant-topped desserts were served only to customers who had given prior consent. In closing remarks, the owner reportedly apologised, saying the incident stemmed from a failure to fully understand the relevant regulations.

The court is expected to issue its ruling in early September.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and reflects information attributed to local media and South Korean authorities. Source attribution: Dawn Home.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017551/owner-of-south-korea-michelin-starred-restaurant-faces-jail-for-ant-sorbet