Latest news with #MinistryofFoodandDrugSafety
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Michelin star restaurant in legal trouble for serving ‘ant' garnished food — viral dish violated food safety laws
Legal trouble knocked doors of a two-star Michelin restaurant located in South Korea's capital — Seoul, for serving ant garnished food. This marks an instance when fine dining comes in conflict with the laws of the country. The high-end fine dining restaurant had been serving ants in its select dishes for the past four years but came under fire recently. According to government guidelines, a total of ten insect species, excluding ants, are permitted for use in food preparation. The list includes, grasshoppers, mealworms and silkworm pupae, among others, The Korea Times reported. In this case, the Michelin star restaurant owner and the corporate entity have been referred to prosecutors, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revealed on July 10. Since ants are not on the list, their use entails violation of law under current food safety regulations. Thus, South Korea's Food Sanitation Act prohibits sale of food or additives that do not meet established standards. Violators can face a penalty of up to ₹ 31.1 lakh (50 million won) or imprisonment of up to five years. Located in Gangnam District, the high-end fine dining restaurant gained traction after its signature offerings became viral on social media. Featuring a creative and globally inspired interpretations of Korean cuisine, the sherbet dish topped with edible ants became the most popular delicacy. The restaurant used ants sourced from the US and Thailand and garnished its dishes with three to five ants per plate. Between April 2021 and January 2025, the restaurant allegedly sold platters containing three to five ants in every serving. The dish generated sales worth around ₹ 74.7 lakh (120 million won), corresponding to estimated 12,000 servings during this period.
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Michelin star restaurant in legal trouble for serving ‘ant' garnished food — viral dishes violated food safety laws
Legal trouble knocked doors of a two-star Michelin restaurant located in South Korea's capital — Seoul, for serving ant garnished food. This marks an instance when fine dining comes in conflict with the laws of the country. The high-end fine dining restaurant had been serving ants in its select dishes for the past four years but came under fire recently. According to government guidelines, a total of ten insect species, excluding ants, are permitted for use in food preparation. The list includes, grasshoppers, mealworms and silkworm pupae, among others, The Korea Times reported. In this case, the Michelin star restaurant owner and the corporate entity have been referred to prosecutors, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revealed on July 10. Since ants are not on the list, their use entails violation of law under current food safety regulations. Thus, South Korea's Food Sanitation Act prohibits sale of food or additives that do not meet established standards. Violators can face a penalty of up to ₹ 31.1 lakh (50 million won) or imprisonment of up to five years. Located in Gangnam District, the high-end fine dining restaurant gained traction after its signature offerings became viral on social media. Featuring a creative and globally inspired interpretations of Korean cuisine, the sherbet dish topped with edible ants became the most popular delicacy. The restaurant used ants sourced from the US and Thailand and garnished its dishes with three to five ants per plate. Between April 2021 and January 2025, the restaurant allegedly sold platters containing three to five ants in every serving. The dish generated sales worth around ₹ 74.7 lakh (120 million won), corresponding to estimated 12,000 servings during this period. However, the restaurant's owner claimed that they were unaware ants were a restricted ingredient and had even introduced the ant-based dish on TV without concealment.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Michelin-Starred Restaurant In South Korea Serves Dish Topped With Ants, Lands In Legal Trouble
A two-star Michelin restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam district is under investigation for serving dishes topped with ants, violating South Korea's Food Sanitation Act. According to The Korea Times, the restaurant served a sorbet dish topped with ants, a signature offering at the fine dining venue known for its innovative Korean cuisine. The restaurant allegedly imported dried ants from the US and Thailand and used them as a garnish in around 12,000 dishes, generating approximately 120 million won ($87,400) in revenue from April 2021 to January 2025. While South Korea permits certain insects like locusts, grasshoppers, and mealworms as food, and silkworm pupae (beondegi) is a common street food, ants are not approved as an edible ingredient. "To use ants as food, businesses must obtain temporary approval for standards and specifications under food safety regulations. We have shared the results of this investigation with the relevant local government and requested administrative action," a ministry official said. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety launched an investigation into a restaurant after discovering social media and blog posts featuring the dish. The ant-topped dish has gained popularity among customers, with many describing it as an "upgraded experience". The restaurant's owner claims they were unaware that ants are not legally recognised as a food ingredient in South Korea. The restaurant allegedly imported two types of ants from the US and Thailand via express mail between April 2021 and November 2024. In various parts of the world, insects are valued as a nutritious and sustainable food source. For example, in Thailand, fried insects like crickets, ant eggs, grasshoppers, and termites are popular street foods. Similarly, in Mexico, chapulines (grasshoppers) and escamoles (ant larvae) are commonly used in tacos and sauces. South Korea first approved insects as a food source in 2015. By 2021, the country's insect-farming industry had generated an estimated 44.6 billion won ($32.5 million) in sales. Other countries, including the European Union, Singapore, have also approved certain insect species for consumption.
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Restaurant may face charges for adding ants to 12,000 dishes
A restaurant that used ants to add 'unique flavour' is facing possible charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act, as ants are not a type of insect deemed edible by South Korean law. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on July 10 it has transferred the case of a local restaurant and its owner to prosecutors for the eatery's use of imported dried ants in the dishes. The restaurant owner was found to have brought in two types of ants, from the United States and Thailand, via an express mail service from April 2021 to November 2024. The restaurant purportedly added three to five ants per plate for specific dishes sold there up to January 2025. An estimated 12,000 dishes were sold. Recipes using ants, while not common, are not unheard of. But the Food Sanitation Act does not permit restaurants to use materials that are not recognised by law as food ingredients. As of 2025, Korean law only permits 10 types of insects to be used as food ingredients, including grasshoppers, mealworms and silkworm pupae that is commonly sold as the street snack beondaegi. Regardless of the effects or safety of ingested ants, it must be authorised by the ministry in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act and related decree to be used in restaurants. — The Korea Herald/ANN
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
South Korean restaurant may face charges for adding ants in 12,000 dishes for ‘unique flavour'
Recipes using ants are not unheard of, but the South Korean Food Sanitation Act does not permit restaurants to use materials not recognised by law as food ingredients. -- PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): A restaurant that used ants to add 'unique flavor' is facing possible charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act, as ants are not a type of insect deemed edible by South Korean law. The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on July 10 that it has transferred the case of a local restaurant and its owner to prosecutors for the eatery's use of imported dried ants in the dishes. The restaurant owner was found to have brought in two types of ants, from the US and Thailand, via an express mail service from April 2021 to November 2024. The restaurant purportedly added three to five ants per plate for specific dishes sold there up to January 2025. An estimated 12,000 dishes were sold. Recipes using ants, while not common, are not unheard of. But the Food Sanitation Act does not permit restaurants to use materials that are not recognised by law as food ingredients. As of 2025, Korean law only permits 10 types of insects to be used as food ingredients, including grasshoppers, mealworms and silkworm pupae, that is commonly sold as the street snack beondaegi. Regardless of the effects or safety of ingested ants, it must be authorised by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in accordance with the Food Sanitation Act and related decree to be used in restaurants. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
