Chinese restaurant closed after woman finds rat in food; stock plunges

Beijing, September 13

A top hotpot restaurant in China’s Shandong province was shut down after a pregnant woman found a dead rat in the food she was served, according to media reports.

The pregnant woman had been to Xiabu Xiabu hotpot restaurant with her family on September 6. She found the dead rat in her meal after she had already taken a few bites from the dish.

A video of her fishing out a dead rat from the broth with a pair of chopsticks quickly spread on Chinese social media site Weibo.

The restaurant chain is famous for its hotpot food.

The outlet reportedly offered her 5,000 yuan (USD 729) as compensation.    

However, her husband, Ma, declined the offer, as he wanted his wife to undergo a full body check-up before deciding on a compensation amount, Kankan News, a local news outlet, reported.

Ma also alleged that one of the staff had suggested his wife get an abortion if she was worried about the baby’s health, and offered him 20,000 yuan for the procedure.

The outlet has temporarily been suspended after the incident. 

Its stocks also fell by about USD 190 million following the incident, the BBC reported. — PTI