Oh rats! Rodent seen scampering inside vending machine

It found a way in but saw no way out — a rat was recently seen scurrying around in a Gardenia vending machine.

In a minute-long video posted to TikTok on Dec 4, the rodent is seen running along the rows of bread and climbing up and down the machine.

At one point, it jumps down to the collection area but does not manage to escape.

The clip, which was reposted on Instagram, sparked public concern on food safety.

"Now if the person who consumed rat infested food gets sick, who does he sue? The food brand or the vending machine?" one netizen asked.

Another urged for the incident to be reported to the authorities.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@needwatchfoodvidwhenieat/video/7444440744946928912[/embed]

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Gardenia said on Thursday (Dec 12) that it is aware of the incident.

An internal investigation found that the vending machine was most likely to be one located at Fernwood Towers, a condominium in Marine Parade.

"As part of our core protocol, we immediately discarded all products in the vending machine after which the machine then underwent a thorough disinfection process to eliminate any potential contamination," said the local baked goods company.

The vending machine was also left to dry for three days before undergoing an additional round of general cleaning, after which Gardenia restocked the machine with products.

"To prevent any recurrence, we have also installed a protective casing to safeguard the machine against pests and rodents," the company added.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com