Kellogg’s says that a criminal investigation has been launched after a worker was caught on camera apparently urinating onto cereal before it was packed into boxes for sale.

The unidentified man is seen apparently befouling the cereal in a 43-second video which was posted online to the World Star Hip Hop website on Friday.

The company said it is "outraged by this completely unacceptable situation" as it confirmed the incident was recorded at its Memphis, Tennessee factory in 2014.

A criminal investigation is underway as well as a thorough internal investigation. Kellogg’s spokesman

Rice Krispies Treats, granola clusters used in several products, and "a few" other puffed rice treats products which have since been discontinued "could have been potentially affected", the company said.

A conveyor belt at a Kellogg factory (file photo) Credit: PA

The video shows a man urinating onto the conveyor belt, as loose cereal is unloaded from a tube onto the production line. The video zooms in on a Kellogg's logo on equipment in the factory.

The online channel WREG-TV reported that the footage was shot during a contentious labour dispute.

Kellogg's spokesman Kris Charles said the US Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe into the video, which was recorded in 2014.

Kellogg takes this situation very seriously and we were shocked and deeply disappointed by this video that we just learned of yesterday. We immediately alerted law enforcement authorities and regulators. A criminal investigation is underway as well as a thorough internal investigation. Kris Charles, Kellogg's spokesman

Last year a farm worker in Lincolnshire was sacked after being caught on film urinating in a field of vegetables headed for Tesco.