'They eat ants in Australia...' Michelin two-star restaurant representative fined

[Financial News] The representative of a Michelin two-star restaurant was fined after being indicted for using ants that are not approved as food ingredients in dishes.
The Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Division 8, presided over by Judge Lee Se-chang, on the 16th fined Ms. Kim, 41, the female representative of Restaurant A, 15 million won for violating the Food Sanitation Act. Corporation A, which was indicted alongside her, was fined 10 million won.
The court found Ms. Kim guilty, saying that she had admitted to the charges and that the relevant evidence was sufficient.
The court said, "The purpose of the Food Sanitation Act—to prevent harm caused by food and protect and promote public health—must be taken into consideration." It pointed out that ants not approved for use as food ingredients had been used in dishes and that ant-topped dishes had also been used to promote the restaurant.
The court also determined that "the offense was not minor," citing the discovery of heavy-metal-related concerns in the ants used.
However, the court considered several factors in Ms. Kim's favor, including her admission of the offense, her status as a first-time offender with no prior criminal record, and the apparent fact that fewer ants were actually served to customers than the quantity listed in the prosecution's crime inventory.
The court also took into account that people may have been less aware that ants are not approved as food ingredients in South Korea because they are used as food ingredients in some overseas countries, as well as the fact that the restaurant stopped using ants after receiving a corrective order from the authorities.
Ms. Kim and others were indicted for allegedly serving customers some course dishes topped with dried ants that had not been approved as food ingredients from 2021 through January last year.
Investigators found that Ms. Kim's side imported dried ant products from the United States and Thailand and used them as toppings on sorbet and other dishes to add acidity as a palate cleanser.
Prosecutors determined that Ms. Kim and the others had served ant-containing dishes to approximately 12,000 customers and sold them for about 120 million won.
At the first trial held in July, Ms. Kim's side admitted most of the charges, including the use of ants, but argued that the actual number of customers served and the quantity of ants used were lower than the prosecution's estimates.
At the time, the defense attorney explained, "We did not serve ants to customers who did not want them." The attorney said that about 60% of all customers chose the ant topping and that approximately one to five ants were served to each person.
In her final statement, Ms. Kim said, "I regret that my spouse and I failed to properly check domestic regulations while operating the restaurant together," adding, "We will carefully review the relevant laws and regulations in the future."
[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter