Michelin-starred restaurateur faces jail for using ants as dessert garnish
South Korean prosecutors have sought a one-year jail term and a 20 million won (£10,100) fine against the owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant for serving ants as a dessert garnish, in breach of national food safety rules. Ants are not among the ten insect species approved for human consumption in South Korea, which include grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, and the case has drawn attention to how strictly the country regulates novel foods even in high-end dining.
Investigators believe around 49,000 ants, imported from the US and Thailand, were used across various dishes, including ant-topped sorbet, over four years, after officials spotted diner reviews online showing the garnish. Authorities also found the ants used contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects. The restaurant owner has admitted serving ants but argued they featured in only a small part of the 15-course menu, that diners could choose alternatives, and that around 60% opted to try them; a verdict is expected on 2 September.
In short
- South Korean chef faces jail over unapproved ant garnish
- Prosecutors seek one-year term and £10,100 fine
- Verdict due 2 September; ants used in sorbet dishes
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The restaurateur operated transparently within a fine-dining establishment where sophisticated diners could opt out of the ant garnish, with the majority choosing to do so; one-year imprisonment and a substantial fine appear disproportionate for an optional, consensual garnish in an informed setting, rather than a genuine public health threat.
The case against
South Korea's food safety regulations protect all consumers equally and serve a crucial public health function; the ants contained dangerously elevated heavy metal levels—55 times above approved insects—demonstrating why these standards exist. Consistent enforcement is essential to regulatory integrity; exempting prestigious establishments would undermine protections for all consumers.
Explained simply
South Korea regulates which insects can be sold as food, with only ten species approved, including grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. Ants are not on the list, so using them in a restaurant dish can breach food safety rules even if diners agree to try them.
The case centres on the owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and the country’s food safety authorities. Investigators say ants imported from the US and Thailand were used in dishes over several years, and that tests found elevated heavy-metal levels in the ants.
It highlights how rules for novel foods apply to high-end restaurants as well as other food businesses. The legal question is whether the owner’s use of unapproved ants broke those rules.
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