South Korean Michelin-starred restaurant owner faces jail over ant-topped sorbet

SEOUL: The owner of a two-Michelin-star restaurant in South Korea is facing a possible one-year prison term after prosecutors accused the eatery of serving sorbet topped with black ants in breach of food safety rules, according to local media reports and a food safety ministry statement.

Seoul prosecutors sought the jail term at a court hearing on Monday for the unnamed owner of the unidentified restaurant, which is accused of using insects not approved for human consumption under South Korean law. The food safety ministry said the ants had been imported from Thailand and the United States.

Under South Korean regulations, only 10 insect species are authorised for consumption, including grasshoppers and brown mealworm larvae. The ministry said authorities began investigating the case last year and alleged that the chef had placed “three to five” black ants on top of palate-cleansing sorbet “to add a sour taste”.

According to the ministry statement, the restaurant made about 12,000 sales worth 120 million won, or roughly $81,000, over nearly four years until January 2025. One photograph released as evidence by the ministry showed a round tin labelled “Cuisine Black Ants”.

Local outlet Newsis News Agency reported that prosecutors also asked the Seoul Western District Court to impose a fine of 20 million won. The defendant’s lawyers argued that the ant-topped desserts were served only to customers who had agreed to receive them beforehand.

In his closing statement, the defendant said he had failed to properly understand the rules.

“I apologise for this incident, which arose from my failure to fully understand the relevant regulations,”

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