'The Rat Ate It First' Butcher Shop Hygiene Controversy: "How Many Times Has This Happened?"

Amid ongoing controversies over food hygiene in China, another incident has sparked debate after a rat was caught gnawing on meat placed on a tray at a butcher shop.

According to local media such as Guangming Wang (光明?) on the 22nd, a video showing a rat climbing onto a tray filled with meat and gnawing on it at a butcher shop recently spread across Chinese social networking services (SNS) like Weibo. The footage was reportedly taken on the 17th at a butcher shop in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, in northeastern China.

[Photo by Weibo capture]

The video shared on SNS quickly went viral, causing an uproar. In response to the controversy, the butcher shop owner apologized, saying, "The rat entered while the staff member stepped away. It is entirely my fault. I will work to improve hygiene."

Local authorities also announced on the 18th that "an on-site investigation confirmed poor hygiene conditions at the store." They added, "The store has been closed and an investigation is underway," and stated that "the contaminated food items have been discarded."

Netizens who learned of the incident expressed deep distrust over the recurring food hygiene issues in China. Amid calls for thorough investigations and strict measures, one commenter drew attention by asking, "How many similar incidents go undiscovered?"

Recurring food hygiene problems are considered a chronic issue in China. Despite authorities’ 'zero tolerance' warnings, videos of rats appearing in restaurants have repeatedly surfaced, keeping food hygiene controversies alive.

In December last year, a rat was found in a sauce container at a university cafeteria in Jiangsu Province in eastern China, prompting an official apology from the school and an investigation by authorities. In November of the same year, a video showing a rat gnawing on beef at a hot pot restaurant in Zhejiang Province caused a stir, and in December, a live rat fell onto a dining customer's head at another hot pot restaurant, shocking many.

Additionally, in late November last year, a video was posted on SNS showing a male worker at a butcher shop in Anhui Province in eastern China using his mouth instead of tools to remove bones from raw lamb ribs. He boasted that it was a "decades-old traditional technique faster than using tools," but consumers criticized it as disgusting.