Suspected rat found in vegetables imported from US

A suspected rat was found in frozen vegetables imported from the United States, prompting South Korea's food protection agency to order a recall and launch an investigation, an official said on Friday.

The suspected rat, 4 cm long, was found earlier this week in mixed vegetables made by Columbia Foods Inc., said Choi Soon-gon, deputy director of food management at the Korea Food and Drug Administration.

Costco, a US-based discount store that sold the vegetables, confirmed that it reported the case to the food agency Wednesday, two days after receiving a complaint from a South Korean customer.