Live worms were reportedly found in a pizza from an Indian restaurant.

Footage shows the unwanted creatures squirming on the pizza allegedly purchased from a restaurant in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.

Customer Rohan Barman expressed his shock, stating that he may have eaten the pizza if he had not noticed the pests.

The restaurant owner claimed that the incident was part of a plot to damage his business, defending the cleanliness and hygiene of his establishment.

Health Department officials, including Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Rajesh Mishra, announced plans for an inspection campaign to review food safety standards at local eateries.

On September 20, the food safety task force caught the Meridian Restaurant in Panjagutta and Jalpaan Restaurant in Somajiguda allegedly committing hygiene violations, including having pigeon droppings on window meshes.

In another incident, a centipede was allegedly discovered in a food at the luxury Taj Mahal Hotel on September 24.

India is notorious for its poor food safety practices, as many street stalls and cheap restaurants prioritise efficiency and profit over hygiene.

The country's food safety regulating body, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, is relatively new having only been established in 2006.