Chinese factory causes a stink after staff pictured sticking their FEET into giant piles of noodles and even sleeping on them

 Pictures taken at the Tongcheng Rice Noodle Factory show workers putting their feet in piles of noodles (left and right), and even napping on top of the foodstuff (left image, centre)  before it is sent to customers

 Diners across China have reacted with horror after covert pictures showing noodle factory workers sticking their bare feet in the foodstuff were released online.

One staff member at the factory in Dongguan City was even pictured taking a nap on piles of noodles before the snack was packed and sent off to customers.

The plant, called the Tongcheng Rice Noodle Factory, was involved in a similar hygiene scandal last year when owners promised to clean up their act.

A spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration said: 'Undercover photographs taken in the rice products factory show plain clothes employees kicking around piles of noodles on the floor with their bare feet.

'They are trampling over them as they walk about and even laying down to take their afternoon naps before packaging them up and shipping them to stores.

'We will not tolerate such breaches of the health and hygiene laws.'

One of the online comments posted underneath the images read: 'It’s shocking and hard to believe these pictures.'

The same factory was involved in a similar hygiene scandal last year when owners promised to clean up their act. Bosses could now face heavy fines or jail sentences for a repeated breach

Workers were pictured wading through piles of noodles with no shoes on and without wearing hairnets (pictured right, how workers at the factory should have been dressed)

'Let us call it stinky feet rice noodles forever,' said another, while a third added: 'It is disgusting to think we have eaten so much rice noodle before from this company. We will never eat them again!'

Dongguan Food and Drug Administration said the pictures were taken before the Chinese Spring Festival on January 31 and officials have shut it down while stringent health checks are carried out.

The operators face heavy fines and possible prison sentences for contravening basic codes of hygiene.

Authorities say the pictures were taken before January 31 and the factory has now been closed while stringent inspections are now carried out