The lunch cost just US$5,60: rice noodles with meat and satay sauce, a ham omelet, and a drink, bought at a restaurant in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong.
When the customer opened the container, she found something moving among the noodles: a live rat pup, hairless and covered in sauce. She recorded the moment, kept the food, and filed a complaint with the health authorities.
Inspectors collected the food for analysis and found unsatisfactory hygiene conditions in some areas of the restaurant, which subsequently carried out cleaning and disinfection. The authorities took action against the establishment, although they are still investigating how the animal ended up in the food.
The owner said they had never received a similar complaint during more than a year of operation.