Michelin two-star restaurant fined for serving ants in dishes

A representative of a Michelin two-star restaurant was fined 15 million won ($11,000) for using ants in dishes served at the restaurant, according to the Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday.

The ants in question were insects not approved for human consumption in Korea.

In addition to the 41-year-old representative surnamed Kim, the company that operates the restaurant was also sentenced to pay 10 million won for violating the Food Sanitation Act.

Kim and the company were accused of importing dried ant products from the United States and Thailand beginning in 2021 and serving them as garnish on some dishes sold at the restaurant for about four years.

Under the Food Sanitation Act, ants are not among the 10 insect species approved for human consumption.

“The offense cannot be taken lightly, given that the law is intended to protect public health from food-related hazards,” the judge said. “The ants used in the dishes contained heavy metals above permitted levels.”

The judge, however, cited several mitigating factors, including that Kim admitted to the offense and had no prior criminal record. The court also noted that ants are used as food ingredients in some countries and that Kim did not appear to have fully realized they were not permitted for culinary use in Korea.

Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for Kim on July 20.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]