{"id":15318,"date":"2026-07-24T03:54:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15318"},"modified":"2026-07-24T03:54:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:54:32","slug":"south-korea-michelin-restaurant-charged-for-serving-ants-on-sorbet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15318","title":{"rendered":"South Korea Michelin restaurant charged for serving ants on sorbet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The owner of a <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834671\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/food-drink\/food\/restaurants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michelin-starred restaurant<\/a> in South Korea is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of roughly $13,510 after the eatery allegedly served ants atop its sorbets.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">The proprietor of the Seoul restaurant, not identified in court documents, acknowledged serving ants, which are not among the insect species approved for human consumption under South Korea&#8217;s Food Sanitation Act. The law approves 10 other insect species for human consumption \u2014 but not ants, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834672\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c62qw1qk95eo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the BBC reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The country&#8217;s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety discovered the violation through customers&#8217; social media posts and online reviews mentioning ants, according to reports.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834673\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/food-drink\/cyclospora-outbreak-still-safe-eat-restaurants-heres-what-know#&amp;_intcmp=fnc_category_category_main-content_article-list_1_1\"><strong><u>CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK: IS IT STILL SAFE TO EAT AT RESTAURANTS? HERE&#8217;S WHAT TO KNOW<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Grasshoppers, mealworms, silkworm pupae, locusts and two-spotted crickets are among the insects the government has approved as <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834674\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/food-drink\/food\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">food<\/a>, based on health and nutrition criteria.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/77bb770a-ants_as_food.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"A person holds a piece of food with ants on it.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>A South Korean restaurant owner is facing jail time for serving ants as a garnish on dessert dishes.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Prosecutors allege the ants served at the restaurant contained heavy metal levels up to 55 times the maximum limit allowed for other edible insects. They accuse the restaurant of importing dried ants and using approximately 49,000 of them in dishes since 2021.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Defense attorneys disputed that figure, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834675\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chosun.com\/english\/kpop-culture-en\/2026\/07\/21\/Z3DMJXKFMNDYJJ7MOZME3YXD3I\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">according to The Chosun Daily<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Ants were offered as an optional garnish for <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834676\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/dessert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the sorbet<\/a>, the restaurant owner&#8217;s defense argued, and only 60% of diners chose them over other options, including fermented vinegar and edible flowers, the South Korean newspaper reported.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The court is expected to render a verdict in September.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Globally, the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834678\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/food-drink\/bug-based-foods-could-win-skeptics-single-taste-researchers-say\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">edible insect market is expanding<\/a>, as Fox News Digital previously reported.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/people_eating_insects.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"People eat a bowl of insects.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Insects are eaten widely around the world, and the global market for insect-based foods is predicted to expand.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The market is estimated to grow from $1.73 billion in 2025 to $13.23 billion by 2034, driven by growing interest in sustainable nutrition, resource efficiency and diversified protein sources, according to Fortune Business Insights.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Beetles dominated the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834679\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/science\/wild-nature\/insects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">insect-based food market<\/a> in 2025, accounting for 33% market share, Persistence Market Research reported.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834680\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/lifestyle\/quizzes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><u>TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The yellow mealworm and lesser mealworm also topped the list, while crickets and grasshoppers were the fastest-growing insect segments.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">A small study by researchers at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal recently found that people exposed to insect-based foods were more curious and receptive to them than expected.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/ants_on_plate.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"A plate with a fork covered in ants sits on a table.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Ants are one of the insects deemed unsuitable for human consumption in South Korea, though several other bugs are allowed to be eaten.<\/span> <span>(iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">It\u2019s &#8220;exciting to see that consumers may be open to new abundant <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834681\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/health\/nutrition-and-fitness\/nutrition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sources of nutrition<\/a>,&#8221; Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Several insect-based food products are already available to consumers in the U.S. Chirps Chips are tortilla-style chips made with cricket flour, while other companies market cricket protein powders and snack bars.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_food-drink_article_main-content_article-body_6_3834683\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/lifestyle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Jiminy&#8217;s grain-free cookies for dogs are made with crickets and grubs.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Teresa Mull is a freelance writer with the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of roughly $13,510 after the eatery allegedly served ants atop its sorbets. The proprietor of the Seoul restaurant, not identified in court documents, acknowledged serving ants, which&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ants_on_plate.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}