A dark, suspicious-looking lump found in an unfortunate customer’s takeaway order was indeed a rat’s head, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) says.
The department’s Pest Control Advisory Section confirmed the rodent part in an examination, HK01 reported Wednesday.
Earlier this month, a customer at the Tsing Yi branch of Japanese chain Saizeriya returned to the restaurant with his takeaway spaghetti, complaining that there was what appeared to be part of a rat in his food.
According to customers who were there at the time, the man walked around the restaurant with the food container and showed people the shriveled rat head, warning them about the outlet’s unsanitary practices. Some customers left in disgust.
Saizeriya posted a statement on Facebook two days later, writing that the restaurant is “extremely concerned” about the incident and is cooperating with the FEHD’s investigation.
It added that FEHD personnel had visited the outlet and did not find “anything unusual” about the restaurant’s hygiene standards, and did not identify any signs that it might be rat-infested.
Coconuts has reached out to Saizeriya for comment.
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Saizeriya, which specializes in western food, has around 50 outlets in Hong Kong. The chain’s sit-down, family-style restaurants are known for their affordable prices.
Authorities said they will continue following up on the case and will carry out prosecutions for breach of hygiene regulations if evidence is found.
