Shocking! Rats roam freely over Makhan Malai trays at Lucknow sweet shop, internet horrified: Viral video

Mint

4 days ago

A video showing rats running over trays of ingredients at a renowned sweet shop in Lucknow has shocked the internet, raising serious questions about food hygiene and safety.
The clip, first shared by a food vlogger on the Instagram page Taste of Street, captures the behind-the-scenes process of making Makhan Malai, a traditional winter delicacy loved across the city. What begins as a typical food reel soon takes a disturbing turn when rats are seen freely moving over uncovered trays of ingredients. Shop workers can be seen in the background briefly attempting to shoo the rodents away before returning to work.
The video starts with a worker slicing sheets of malai without wearing gloves. Nearby, open trays filled with the sweet's filling are left exposed. Halfway through the video, several rats are seen climbing onto the trays, moving about as the employees continue preparing the food without pausing or discarding the contaminated items.
The footage ends with someone tasting the final product.
The viral video was captioned: 'Lucknow famous Makhan Malai making from scratch.'
The footage quickly went viral, sparking a flood of shocked and sarcastic reactions from viewers.
One user wrote, 'My friend had this and he said it was really delicious…. those were his last words.'
Another commented, 'Very hygienic.'
'They will never ever use disposable gloves,' one viewer noted, while another joked, 'The poor mouse was fired for appearing on camera. Now he's demanding payment for all the poop he left in the flour.'
'Extra flavour just walked in,' another person quipped.
One user expressed disbelief, writing: 'Wait so he just let the mouse walk over the food and still continued to do the food without throwing it out! No gloves or nothing wow. I want to throw up.'
Another viewer questioned, 'They'll put on a hair net, but won't put on gloves; where's the logic in that?'
As of now, neither the shop nor local food safety officials have issued any public statement regarding the incident.