KFC denies it served a fried rat to a customer. (Source: Reuters) KFC denies it served a fried rat to a customer. (Source: Reuters)

No fast food seems to be safe these days. First it was the ban on Maggi, then reports came that Haldirams had the maximum rejections from the US FDA in the list of import rejects. The US FDA had put out a list of top rejected imports in February 2015, which you can see here.

Now it appears that KFC has served a fried rat to a consumer in Watts, California, United States. According to two pictures shared in a Facebook by Devorise Dixon , the US fast food giant served him what looks like a deep-fried rat. While in the photos, the ‘rat’ is still coating with the KFC topping, what looks like a distinct tail can be seen, which has sparked this furore.

Check out Dixon’s post below. (App users click here for the post)

Needless to say the post has gone viral on Facebook with over 107,000 shares on the social media site alone. Dixon writes in his post that he had gone back and spoken to the KFC manager who admitted that it was rat. He added that he is contemplating a lawsuit.

However KFC has denied that it served the customer a fried rat. KFC wrote on their Facebook page in a reply to a comment which shared the photos, “KFC takes customer claims very seriously, and we are continuing to investigate this matter. Our chicken tenders often vary in size and shape, and we currently have no evidence to support this claim. We are aggressively trying to reach Mr. Dixon, and we request that he return to the restaurant with the product for testing, or call us at 1-800-Call-KFC.”

KFC added in another comment to a user that they have been trying to get in touch with the customer and said that Dixon is not cooperating.

KFC wrote, “KFC has made various attempts to contact this customer, but he is refusing to talk to us directly or through an attorney. Our chicken tenders often vary in size and shape, and we currently have no evidence to support this allegation. We have extended the opportunity to have an independent lab evaluate the product at our own expense, but the customer refuses to provide the product in question.”

Later in a press release, KFC also clarified that the image (in the Facebook post) is from the US and that it is unrelated to KFC in India.

Dixon has not yet filed a lawsuit and given that he not yet gotten back to KFC to lodge an official complaint, it has raised questions on whether this is a fake or a real picture. However his social media post has gone viral and for now KFC is battling an online storm.

KFC has again issued a statement saying the customer is not cooperating in the investigation. They have released another picture backing their claim that the meat was that of a chicken.

“A customer has made a serious claim against KFC in the US and refuses to cooperate in the investigation. The images the customer originally posted do not include this second angle because it clearly shows it’s a piece of hand-breaded white meat chicken. Based on this, and the fact that he refuses to allow anyone to see the product, KFC US is left to believe that he intended to deceive the public with this hoax and are considering all options.”

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Trending News, download Indian Express App.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd