'Rat Heads' Found in Schools and Hospital Cafeterias... Hygiene Controversy Boils Over in China

Once Again 'Jwi Meori' Found in China
This Time in Chongqing Hospital Lunchbox

Earlier this month, a rat head was found at a school in China, and now another rat head has been discovered at a hospital, raising growing concerns about poor hygiene in the local food service industry.

According to Geukbok Newspaper on the 28th, a netizen reported the day before that they found a foreign object resembling a rat head in the food at a traditional Chinese medicine restaurant in Shushan County, Chongqing City. The netizen also posted a related photo on social media (SNS). The revealed photo showed a foreign object that appeared to be a rat head placed on top of a lunchbox.

Foreign substance found in food at Chongqing Middle School cafeteria.
[Image source=Geukbok Newspaper]

As the controversy spread, with related hashtags briefly reaching number one on Weibo's real-time search rankings that day, the Shushan County Market Supervision Administration and Public Security Bureau launched an investigation. The result confirmed that the foreign object was indeed a rat head. The hospital restaurant in question closed its doors and suspended operations on the 28th.

Rat Head Also Found Earlier This Month in Vocational School Cafeteria

Foreign substance found in food at a university cafeteria in China. [Image source=Sangyu Newspaper·Yonhap News]

This is not the first case of a rat head found in food in China. On the 1st, a foreign object resembling a rat head was also found in the cafeteria of a vocational school in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, sparking controversy.

At that time, a student at the school exposed on SNS, "A foreign object that looks like a rat head was found in the food served at the school cafeteria." The student even posted a video showing the rat head, but the school claimed it was 'duck meat.'

Officials from the Market Supervision Administration who conducted the investigation repeatedly emphasized in interviews with the media, "After inspecting the site, it was definitely a duck neck."

However, local netizens raised suspicions, saying, "Ducks and rats look completely different, so calling it a duck is absurd." Eventually, the school and authorities were caught up in a controversy over lying. Finally, the local authorities formed an expert investigation team and concluded on the 17th, after about two weeks, that it was indeed a rat head.