This is the gut-wrenching moment health officials discovered a severed dog's head inside a fridge at a food factory in India.

Punjab Health Department workers raided a momos and spring rolls factory in Mataur, Mohali, after a video exposed its filthy conditions.

Footage shows inspectors navigating the unhygienic production room, where rotting cabbages litter the floor, and small dough discs are scattered across dirty surfaces.

Authorities reportedly found large quantities of spoiled meat, a crusher machine, reused cooking oil, and the severed head of what appeared to be a pug.

However, officials said that the dog meat was not used in food production but belonged to Nepali workers who had eaten it for lunch. The remains were sent to a veterinary clinic for further examination.

The Mohali municipal corporation fined the factory owner INR 12,000 (approximately 107 GBP) for unauthorised slaughter and INR 10,000 (approximately 89 GBP) for hoarding plastic bags.

The factory had reportedly supplied Chandigarh, Panchkula, and Kalka for two years.

Municipal Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh said: 'Our priority is to protect public health. Other than issuing challans, we will also ascertain if such food units have trade licences for such operations in the village area and will take appropriate action against them.

'The main concern is to save the public from eating unhealthy food.'

Unhygienic food factories pose serious health risks in India.

In 2019, widespread complaints about unsanitary food outlets prompted inspections and closures by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

More recently, health inspections in Hyderabad uncovered rat and cockroach infestations at ten eateries, including Khan-E-Khas, Shahi Dastarkhwan, and Bademiyan Kababs.