Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) bosses have taken action after smelling a rat, when a US customer claimed he was served deep fried rodent in his take-away meal.

Last week, Devorise Dixon, 25, from California, posted on Facebook saying he ordered a meal of chicken tenders to find one looking like a dead rat covered in the Colonel’s secret herbs and spices.

The fast-food giant this week quashed the claims by releasing DNA test results on the piece of chicken in question – which happened to be just that, chicken.

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In an official statement, KFC said: “Recently, a customer questioned the quality of a KFC product, and this received considerable publicity given the sensational nature of his claim.

Tastes just like chicken. Photo: Facebook

“The product has now been tested by a third-party independent lab, which confirmed it is definitely a piece of chicken, as we knew all along.

“The right thing for this customer to do is to apologise and cease making false claims about the KFC brand.”

The lab work was done at the weekend after Mr Dixon’s attorney handed over the chicken tender on Friday, Business Insider reported.

KFC had repeatedly reached out and made requests of Mr Dixon to take the “rat” to an independent party.

A KFC spokesperson said they were “reviewing all options” into legal action against him.

Mr Dixon had not commented in the incident since coming out on social media last week.

He uploaded several pictures and a video of the supposed rodent on Facebook, before sealing it in a bag and putting it in the freezer, he wrote on his Facebook page.

Alongside pictures of a rat-shaped tender, he wrote: “As I bit into it I noticed that it was very hard and rubbery which made me look at it”.

“As I looked down at it I noticed that it was in a shape of a rat with a tail.

“It sent deep chills throughout my whole body. I’ve been feeling weird ever since. It’s time for a lawyer, be safe don’t eat fast food.”

Mr Devorise said when he returned to the store with the piece of chicken, the manger apologised and offered him a free meal, CNN reported.