Foul smell, vibrating fried chicken, and maggots 'swarming'... "We fried and gave rotten food" sparks outrage

There is public outrage after a story circulated that a large number of maggots poured out of a whole chicken purchased from a local chicken shop in Busan.

닭다리 부위에 구더기가 잔뜩 붙어있는 모습. [사진=온라인 커뮤니티 갈무리]

On the 23rd, an online community posted a message titled "An incident worthy of a broadcast program. Please do not look if you are eating." The author, Mr. A, stated, "It may be upsetting, so if you have a weak stomach or are eating, please do not look," and shared several photos.

Looking at the photo posted by Mr. A, you can see a whole fried chicken leg covered with numerous maggots. It appears to be fried along with the chicken, with a white foam-like appearance. Mr. A explained, "A friend, unable to sleep in the early morning, bought a fried chicken from a 24-hour snack bar nearby and brought it home," and added, "As soon as I started tearing the leg to eat, white something fell off, and a rotten smell was overwhelming."

Mr. A said, "My friend examined the chicken closely and said that it was already rotten and had maggots, but it seemed like it was fried whole." He asked for my opinion, saying, "I don't know if this is even possible in today's world. I'm so shocked that I'm worried about where to report this."

Netizens who heard this story responded with comments such as "If you report this, they'll probably get an immediate business suspension," "There's no need to hear the business owner out. At this level, they should just shut down," "Your friend probably won't be able to eat chicken anymore," "This is unprecedented," "Did they store the chicken at room temperature?" "They should also discard all the oil used for frying the chicken," and "It's shocking."

Netizen B, who runs a chicken restaurant, said, "It seems they displayed partially cooked chicken and sold it after a few days when it didn't sell." He also advised, "The owner seems to have no concept of hygiene at all. If you can't even smell rotten food when cooking or packaging, you shouldn't be in the food business. You must receive compensation."

What should you do if foreign objects are found in prepared foods at a restaurant?

1. If foreign matter is found in the food, record the situation and take photos of the foreign matter and the food.

Record specific cases such as "When opening the delivery container lid, foreign substances were floating on top."

2. Foreign objects are stored in zipper bags or separate containers as evidence.

Even if there is evidence through photos or memories, it is difficult to determine the exact cause if there is no actual foreign object.

Report to 1399 (Food Safety Information Center Call Center) without dialing an area code.

When reporting, provide the restaurant name and address, the ordered food, and details of the foreign object found.

Submitting receipts or payment history together can help facilitate quick verification.

If you ordered through a delivery app, you can report it to the company's customer service.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety conducts fact-checking and investigates the causes, then imposes administrative sanctions on restaurants based on the severity and frequency of violations.

If parasites are mixed with metals or glass, the business is suspended for 2 to 7 days; if there are blades or animal carcasses, the suspension lasts for 5 to 20 days; other foreign substances result in corrective orders up to a 3-day suspension.

<Source: Korea Food Safety Information Service>

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Foul smell, vibrating fried chicken, and maggots 'swarming'... "We fried and gave rotten food" sparks outrage

What should you do if foreign objects are found in prepared foods at a restaurant?