Rat rage at McDonald’s

Beijing, June 10:

US fast food giant McDonald’s was forced to pay compensation to a student who was bitten by a rat at one of its outlets in northeast China, state press reported on Sunday.

The girl was bitten at a McDonald’s restaurant in the province of Liaoning, the Beijing Morning Post said. She sued the chain in a civil case and was awarded 2,216 yuan ($290) by a local court. She had initially sought 20,000 yuan, but McDonald’s argued there was a lack of proof.

The incident happened last December and the court case was heard in April, but has only now come to light amid a growing trade dispute between China and the United States over tainted food and health products.

On Saturday, China rejected a shipment of pistachios from the United States as it contained termites, the Beijing Times said. A container of nearly two tonnes of pistachios was turned back at a port in Guangdong province due to dangers the termites posed to the local environment and to the insect’s propensity to breed quickly, the paper said.