BRISBANE鈥擜n Australian woman said Thursday she was horrified after finding a live rat nestled inside a loaf of bread she bought at a supermarket.
The woman, who had been shopping in Aitkenvale, in Queensland鈥檚 tropical north, noticed there were holes in the sliced bread as she was packing her bags into the car.
鈥淚 said to my friend, 鈥榯his bread鈥檚 got a hole in it, it looks like a rat鈥檚 eaten into it鈥�,鈥� the woman, who asked not to be identified, told the Australian Associated Press.
When she lifted the bag out she found a live rodent had chewed through the packaging and was lurking inside.
鈥淭he thought of a live rat in my loaf of bread and so close to me was pretty gruesome,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to vomit, I just wanted to throw it away, I got all squeamish.鈥�
Pictures in the Townsville Bulletin newspaper showed the rat inside the loaf鈥檚 plastic packaging.
The woman took the bread back to the supermarket after the discovery Sunday but they were reluctant to take responsibility, she told the newspaper.
鈥淚t came from their shop but they are saying it was in the bread before it was delivered to the shop,鈥� she said.
A spokesman for Coles supermarkets said the incident was 鈥渙bviously concerning鈥� but isolated and the company would investigate.
Townsville City Council Environmental Health executive manager Gavin Hammond confirmed a complaint had been received.
鈥淲hile it鈥檚 virtually impossible to ascertain where the rodent came from, the council takes public health very seriously and has carried out an inspection of the supermarket and the bakery,鈥� he told the Bulletin.
鈥淲e are satisfied that they have complied with all health requirements.鈥�