In a shocking turn of events, Chinese authorities have confirmed that a strange object found in a student's school meal was, indeed, the head of a rat, CNN reports. This discovery comes after weeks of controversy and public outcry over the incident, which initially sparked debate and skepticism about the nature of the object discovered in the student's dish.
The incident took place on June 1 at the Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College in the southeastern province of Jiangxi. The student, in a video posted on Chinese social media, expressed his concern and disbelief as he picked up the dark, hairy object with his chopsticks. He confronted the canteen staff, who insisted that the object was duck meat, not a rat's head.
The video quickly went viral, triggering widespread discussions and raising questions about food safety in China. The nation has a history of grappling with food scandals, including tainted baby milk powder and the use of "gutter oil." As a result, the public has developed a deep distrust of local governments and their handling of negative news.
In an attempt to subdue the soaring anger of the public, the college issued a statement on June 3, asserting that the object in question was not a rat's head but a piece of duck neck—a popular delicacy in China. They cited an investigation conducted by law enforcement sent by the local district’s market regulator who supposedly confirmed the authenticity of the canteen's claim on the Jiangxi Radio and TV Station.
Meanwhile, a “clarification” video of the student circulated online.
“I found out it was not a rat head but a duck neck, so I would like to clarify,” the student said in the video.
However, the explanations of the school as well as the student failed to convince the public, and online outrage intensified. Many internet users accused the school and local officials of lying and pressuring the student to retract his initial statement. Photoshopped images mocking the situation flooded Chinese social media, with some users jokingly referring to the discovery as a new creature called "duckrat."
Under mounting pressure, the Jiangxi government launched a provincial-level investigation on June 10. A week later, the investigation team refuted the school's previous findings, stating that the object was not a piece of duck neck, but in fact a head of a rodent.
The local market supervision bureau and the school had reached a “wrong conclusion” because they did not investigate “diligently,” officers issued.
Surveillance footage confirmed that canteen staff had disposed of the object on June 1, further discrediting the initial claims made by the school and local market supervision bureau.
As a result of the investigation's findings, the canteen's license was revoked, and the operating company faced the maximum penalty under food safety laws. Officials at the college and the local market supervision bureau will also face punishment for their mishandling of the incident.
The controversy has highlighted the erosion of public trust in local authorities and their attempts to cover up unfavorable news. Even the ruling Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece, Xiakedao, criticized the local authorities for their dishonesty and urged them to learn from this incident.
“So many administrative resources were wasted, and the credibility of the local government was damaged, and the loss has totally outweighed the gain!” it said.
The "calling a rat a duck" incident has further damaged the government's credibility and underscored the need for transparency and accountability in food safety matters. The public is demanding more stringent regulations and rigorous enforcement to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
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