A dismembered rat was discovered in a loaf of bread by a horrified woman who was making toast for her breakfast.

Nombulelo Mkumla had already eaten half of the loaf before she found the rat body parts lodged in her food.

The woman from South Africa shared a video on Facebook showing two pieces of the rodent which appeared to have been sliced in half.

A rat tail, hair and guts were also found squashed into the bread.

A dismembered rat was discovered in a loaf of bread by a horrified woman who was making toast for her breakfast (stock picture)PA

Footage showed how the rat had been moulded into the shape of the bread.

"I took the bread out of the fridge to make toast and noticed something disgusting and scary," Mkumla told local news.

After speaking to friends, she soon realised the grim reality that a dead rodent was in her food.

"I was in denial and suggested it might be something else, but the rat scenario made sense – it's possible the rat got into the bread at the factory and for no one to notice," she added.

Mkumla, from Durban, called the incident "traumatic and disgusting".

Her original video has now received more than one million views.

One social media user wrote: "Oh my friend I am very sorry, I can imagine the trauma you are in."

Another added: "This is disgusting and totally unacceptable."

A rat tail, hair and guts were also found squashed into the bread (stock picture)

The woman said she bought the loaf of SASKO Low GI Seeded Whole Wheat brown bread and reportedly found the rodent on August 31.

According to IOL, Cornel Vermeulen from PepsiCo South Africa said they are aware of the "isolated incident".

The firm later confirmed they were investigating the issue.