South Korean restaurant owner faces jail for serving unapproved insects

Prosecutors in South Korea want to send a Seoul restaurant owner to jail for one year. The owner served ants as a topping on desserts. The restaurant has two Michelin stars.

Ants are not on South Korea's approved list of insects for eating. That list includes grasshoppers, crickets, and mealworms, but not ants. The restaurant used around 49,000 ants over four years, importing them from the US and Thailand.

Officials discovered the problem after finding customer photos and reviews on social media. Tests showed the ants contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than approved edible insects.