Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report   

These pictures show a whole rat that was allegedly boiled to death inside a takeaway meal which was then delivered to a woman’s office.

Beijing native Ms Zhao said she took two sips of her jujube and oat congee before realising that the usual taste was off.

She ordered the meal on 23rd December while working late with her colleagues, some of whom were reportedly present when she made the harrowing discovering inside her porridge.

Ms Zhao, who paid 21.4 RMB (2.3 GBP) for the meal from a Mydo Pie chain in the Galaxy SOHO shopping complex, recalled: “I took two sips of congee and noticed that it didn’t taste fresh.

“I’d bought the same meal from the restaurant before, so I could tell the difference.

“I stirred the congee and found a 5-centimetre (2-inch) long earthworm-like object sticking to the side of the paper bowl.

“I stirred some more and saw the entire rat, which looked like it had been boiled to death in the broth.”

The Mydo Pie chain has since been suspended by the local food safety regulator, but the restaurant insists the rat could not have been cooked in the porridge because each step is monitored by CCTV.

The Dongcheng District Administration for Industry and Commerce confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, and said they did not see signs of a rat entering the congee vat when inspecting the business’s kitchen surveillance images.

A spokesperson said the restaurant’s operations had been suspended as a precautionary measure, and that they are also inspecting CCTV from Ms Zhao’s workplace.

Food delivery platform ELEME, where Ms Zhao ordered her meal, is also being questioned.

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