A Michelin-starred restaurant owner in South Korea is now facing jail time over using ants in a dessert dish.
Prosecutors are seeking a one-year prison sentence for the restauranteur who they say has been using the illegal ingredient since 2021.
According to the Korea Herald, the owner also faces a fine of ₩20 million, or around S$17,500.
Prosecutors had reportedly been alerted to the illegal ingredient use because the restaurant’s customers began posting reviews online, following its appearance on a popular Netflix show.
Photos show the ant products used by the restaurant, which had been imported from the United States and Thailand. These are illegal under South Korean law, which only allows 10 species of insects to be used as ingredients for food.
The ants were reportedly used in the restaurant’s dessert.
Source: Dong-A Ilbo
The chef, who had previously worked in Europe and the United States, had previously used ants to introduce acidity to food.
However, the chef was not aware that this practice is illegal in South Korea.
Businesses that wish to use unapproved insects in food must first seek temporary approval from the government. The restaurant did not do this.
Although the owner admitted to using the ants, he disputed the numbers provided by the prosecution.
They alleged that the restaurant had served over 12,200 dishes of the ant dessert, totalling ₩120 million (S$105,330) in revenue. It is estimated that more than 40,000 ants were used.
Source: Korea Herald
However, the owner said that only 60% of the customers opted for the ants, and not all of them as the prosecutors had assumed.
He also noted that the ants were only a small part of the restaurant’s offerings, and that establishments in other countries allowed for the use of ants in their food.
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Featured image adapted from Korea Herald and Dong-A Ilbo.