A business that sold food with ants, an inedible insect, was caught. The business reportedly generated sales worth 120 million won with this menu.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that it has referred a restaurant operator, Mr. A, who used 'ants' not allowed as food ingredients to prepare food, to prosecutor's office under the suspicion of violating the Food Sanitation Act.
Ants are insects that cannot be used as food ingredients. To use them as food, they must go through procedures such as temporary standards and specifications recognition by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety according to the Food Sanitation Act.
Ten types of insects that can be used for food in Korea include grasshoppers and larvae of the brown house beetle (mealworms).
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed the act of a specific restaurant selling dishes that included 'ants' and then launched an investigation based on online posts, such as blogs and social networking sites (SNS).
As a result of the investigation, it was found that Mr. A had imported two types of dried ant products from the United States and Thailand via international mail (EMS) from April 2021 to November last year.
From April 2021 to this January, Mr. A added 3 to 5 ants to some dishes sold at his restaurant for about 3 years and 9 months to enhance the 'sourness'.
Mr. A reportedly sold products worth 120 million won over approximately 12,000 transactions.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requested the relevant authorities to take administrative actions regarding the restaurant.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety urged, "Operators should first check through the Ministry's website whether the ingredients they purchase or use can be used for food."