Rodent in spaghetti can was just mould

An Ohio woman who thought she found a rat in her can of Chef Boyardee pasta can rest easy. There was no animal in her supper. It was mould.

After Jennifer Aker became Internet-famous for posting a video to YouTube that showed what appeared to be a small rodent in her can of spaghetti and meatballs, ConAgra Foods - the maker of Chef Boyardee products - asked Aker to freeze the contents until a courier arrived to collect them.

But upon thorough examination and testing of the can, ConAgra Foods has determined there was no rodent in the tomato sauce.

It was mould. A really big, thick, hairy chunk of mould.

"Upon a thorough lab analysis, our food safety experts have confirmed that the substance found in the can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs is mould," company spokesman Dave Jackson said Tuesday.

According to Jackson, the mould was "likely caused by damage to the can during shipping."

He said Aker has been made aware of the findings.

"It's not acceptable for a consumer to receive a product in that condition, and we regret the incident," Jackson said.

QMI