Owner of Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea faces jail for ant-topped sorbet
A Michelin-starred restaurant owner in South Korea faces a potential one-year prison sentence for serving ant-topped sorbet. Prosecutors argue the use of non-approved insects violates food safety regulations, despite the owner's claim that customers consented.
Why it matters
The case illustrates the strict enforcement of food safety laws regarding novel ingredients in high-end culinary environments.
The owner of a South Korean Michelin-starred restaurant is facing one year in jail for garnishing a palate-cleansing sorbet with black ants “to add a sour taste”, local media said.
Seoul prosecutors requested the prison term for the anonymous owner of the unnamed eatery at a Monday court hearing for violating food safety regulations, the reports said.
Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption, including grasshoppers and brown mealworm larvae.
But the restaurant, which holds two prized Michelin stars, is accused of serving the forbidden insects imported from Thailand and the US, a food safety ministry statement said.
Local media said the ants were served atop a sorbet.
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