‘Dead rat found in birthday cake’ spoils 96-year-old’s celebrations

A family claimed to have found a dead rat in their cake

A 96-year-old man received an unpleasant surprise on his birthday when he found a ‘dead rat’ in his cake.


Joseph Valente, from New York, was tucking into a slice of his favourite apple strudel cake when he made the shocking discovery.

He complained to his family about the taste after chomping on one mouthful and later fell ill with stomach pains and diarrhoea.

Joseph Valente was ill after eating some of the cake

‘Something isn’t right,’ he told family members.
His nephew Neil Gold told ABC he saw what looked like a line of black mould when he cut the cake.

An investigation has been launched

Gold added: ‘We saw it was coming from the bottom. We flipped it over and seemed to be a rat’s tail.’
He told the New York Post he saw the rat’s tail still attached to its back legs ‘bleeding into the cake’.

Unusual topping on the cake

Supermarket King Kullen said an internal investigation has been launched to look into the family’s claims.

A spokesman said: ‘King Kullen has had in-store bakeries for over 30 years and there has never been a case of a rodent in one of our store-baked cakes.’