韩国检察机构对一家米其林二星餐厅的老板提起诉讼，指控其违反食品卫生法，要求判处监禁一年并罚款2000万韩元[1][2]。该餐厅位于首尔江南区[2]，在约四年内进口并使用了大约49000只蚂蚁作为甜点的顶部装饰[1][2]。
根据韩国现行法律，仅有10种昆虫获批可用于食品，其中包括蝗虫、黄粉虫和蚕蛹，但蚂蚁不在批准名单内[1][2]。这些蚂蚁从美国和泰国进口[1]，餐厅在大约四年间销售了约12200份含蚂蚁甜点，总收入约1.2亿韩元[2]。
有关部门发现，这些蚂蚁中含有的重金属最高达到普通可食用昆虫的55倍[1]。餐厅提供了替代选项，约60%的食客选择尝试蚂蚁，其他客人可选择发酵醋和可食用花卉等替代品[1]。蚂蚁仅作为15道菜系列菜单中冰糕的装饰[1]。
根据食品卫生法，违反者最高可被处以五年监禁或5000万韩元罚款[2]。法院定于2月9日[2]宣判此案。
A two-Michelin-star restaurant owner in South Korea has been prosecuted for serving unapproved ants as a dessert garnish. [1][2] Prosecutors are seeking a one-year jail sentence and a 20 million won fine (approximately $13,510 or £10,100) against the restaurateur. [1]
The ants do not appear on South Korea's approved list of ten edible insects, which includes grasshoppers, mealworms, and silkworm pupae. [1][2] Over a four-year period beginning in 2021, the restaurant imported approximately 49,000 ants from the United States and Thailand for use as a topping on ice cream desserts. [1][2] According to authorities, the establishment sold roughly 12,200 servings of the ant-garnished dessert, generating approximately 120 million won in revenue. [2]
Health authorities found that some of the ants contained heavy metals at levels up to 55 times higher than those permitted in standard edible insects. [1] The restaurant offered customers the choice to try the ants or select alternative toppings such as fermented vinegar or edible flowers, with 60 percent of diners choosing to sample the insects. [1] The ants were incorporated into a 15-course tasting menu, appearing only as a garnish atop the frozen dessert. [1]
The offense represents a violation of food hygiene regulations. [2] Under South Korean law, the maximum penalty for such violations is five years imprisonment or a 50 million won fine. [2]
The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on September 2, 2025. [1]