A shocked dad went to make lunch for his children – and found a dead mouse embedded in the loaf of bread.

Stephen Forse, 41, bought the Hovis Best of Both loaf at a Tesco grocery store and had already used several slices when he made the gruesome discovery, The Sun reported.

The father of four, from Oxfordshire, central England said: "I felt quite ill – and even worse when an environmental health officer said the tail was missing. I wondered if we’d eaten that earlier."

None of the family fell ill. Premier Foods were fined £16,821 ($28,000) for failing to maintain acceptable standards at their site in Mitcham, south London. A spokesman said: "We apologize profusely."