Maggots and teeth in food served to diners

Hundreds of horrified diners were served up unwanted extras last year, reporting finds of everything from maggots to teeth in meals bought from food outlets.

Among the 3,400 complaints received by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) were reports of chewing gum turning up in sandwich wraps, in scrambled egg from a breakfast buffet and in takeaway rice; maggots in mashed potato, hair in a sandwich; and a tooth in a takeaway dish.

Pre-packaged food also had some surprise ingredients including rodent droppings in a bag of crisps, larvae in a jar of beetroot, glass in a smoothie, and a wasp in a packet of rashers.