South Korean prosecutors are seeking a one-year prison sentence for the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant who is accused of using ants as a dessert garnish, media there reported.
Ants are not on the list of 10 insect species approved for human consumption under Soth Korean laws. Approved insects include grasshoppers and locusts among others.
Prosecutors on Monday also asked that the restaurant, which holds two Michelin stars, be fined 20 million Korean won (about $13,510), the BBC reported citing local media.
The owner acknowledged ants had been served in the restaurant’s dished but they were a “small part” of the restaurant’s menu and used as a topping for sorbets. Diners could opt out, reports said.
The case was brought after Food and Drug Safety Ministry officials found online reviews with photographs of dishes sprinkled with ants.
Investigators estimate that some 49,000 ants, imported from the US and Thailand, were used in several dishes over four years.
He also claimed restaurants in countries, such as Australia, Denmark and the UK, also use ants as ingredients.
The restaurants was not named in court documents but ten restaurants in South Korea, all in the capitaly Seoul, have been awarded two Michelin stars.
A verdict is expected on September 2 .
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