Look at what you eat—always, every time, anywhere. Bring a torchlight if you need to; because you never know what unpleasant surprise you might find in your favourite dish.
According to reports, in Rui’an China, a secondary school student chanced upon a small rat’s head within his breakfast dish of glutinous rice that was given out by the school.
Chinese news reports have revealed that the cooked rodent’s head was the size of an adult’s fingernail. This leads us to another burning question. What happened to the rest of the rat? Who is the next lucky kid to discover a different part of the hairy pest?
More rat parts in the kitchen
Mr Weng Heng Xuan, the principal of Rui Xian Secondary School told Beijing Times that a jaw from a large rat was discovered when a check was conducted by authorities. A batch of dried mushrooms and the infamous glutinous rice had been confiscated by Food safety authorities so that a more detailed investigation could be conducted.
According to a food safety official, the rat’s head most likely originated from the batch of dried mushrooms that was ordered from a supplier where a bone was found upon further inspections. After conducting more checks from the mushroom supplier, mud, plastic and insects were also found in other batches of their mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms [Image from Wikimedia Commons]
Rat meat sold as mutton
Food scares are not new to China. In fact, we almost immediately attribute any horrifying food scandal to China by default. Remember the recent China food scandal where rat and fox meat were passed off as mutton and sold to unsuspecting consumers? The meat was cleverly processed with additives and gelatin so that it could be disguised as lamb.
When it comes to food, almost anything goes in China. How can anyone be confident that consuming food from China is safe?
RELATED: Deadly poison kills to preschoolers in China
Food safety for kids
We can consider ourselves fortunate that in Singapore, it is highly unlikely that we would ever find a rodent in our meal. Not to mention, we are such sticklers for going to restaurants with an A-grade in cleanliness. Still, it does not hurt to pay attention to what we are putting into our bodies and those of our kids.
Ask yourself this: Are you aware of what schools are feeding your children? If you aren’t, drop by for a spot check. Take a peek into their kitchens and take a keen interest in what they are feeding your kids.
RELATED: Preschool stores food in toilet
Watch the kid-friendly video below for invaluable advise on food safety
RELATED: Healthy kitchen tips
In some cultures, wild rats are grilled and served—like in Peru. Watch the video below [about two minutes in]
Well, what can we say; one man’s “rat” meat is definitely another man’s poison.
