EL MONTE>> A YouTube video that features a man’s discovery of shredded plastic in a bag of rice noodles created a internet sensation over the past several days and led an El Monte company to fire an allegedly disgruntled employee.

A video titled “Man discovers plastic in noodles” went viral over the weekend and garnered more than 3.4 million views before it was taken down. Other versions, including the original, have far less views and are still available online.

In the video, a man demonstrates the material he found in his bag of Rice Stick Noodles or Banh Pho Tuoi made by Lucky K.T. Co., Inc. was plastic. He uses a cigarette lighter to to explain the discovery. When flame was applied, the plastic material melted; the noodles burned.

“For people out there who’s eating this brand, be very, very careful, very very careful,” said the man, who does not identify himself and is dressed in a grey T-shirt filming in a kitchen.

He says he planned to write a letter to the company.

Lucky K.T. Vice President Eric Wong Monday morning identified the video creator as John Tran. Wong said Tran contacted the company several days after the original video was posted.

Wong also said he reviewed the company’s surveillance footage and found that one employee shredded the thin plastic sleeves that are placed in the bags of noodles to separate the noodles and placed it in the bag among the noodles.

“It was a disgruntled employee,” Tran said.

“We immediately terminated him, unfortunately that bag got out,” he said.

Wong said the footage showed the plastic shreds only made it into one bag.

“We’ve been in business for 30 years,” said Wong. “We do not pride ourselves on putting plastic in our noodles. Plastic is more expensive than rice.”

He said the company has contacted the Los Angeles County Health Department about the incident.

A Reddit thread about the video has more than 2,500 comments.