March 19, 2008

Rat head found in Nong Shim shrimp snack

South Korean food company Nong Shim has issued a public apology on Tuesday after a rat head was discovered in a bag of shrimp crackers.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said on Monday that a furry item found in a bag shrimp crackers was suspected to be a rat head.

Nong Shim has stopped the production of the shrimp crackers and the product is being recalled from shops nationwide. An investigation is currently on pending.

In a released statement, the company accepted total responsibility and apologised to the consumers.

KFDA said the offensive item was suspected of being an accidental introduction at Nong Shim's plant in Qingdao, China. Officials had inspected Nong Shim's local plant at Busan city and believe that the item was unlikely to have originated from there.

"KFDA will carry out an inspection of the China plant late this month," said Lee Jae-Rin, deputy director of KFDA.

Nong Shim is one of South Korea's largest food manufacturers, specialising in instant noodles and snacks. The company also has branches in China, Japan and the US.