Number 997

A woman bought a dried pig ear from a supermarket as a treat for her dog. But when she opened the packet, she was shocked to find a number written on the ear, which alarmed her and many others online. The number turned out to be a standard farm or batch identification mark, used to trace livestock for health and safety reasons. Still, many found the discovery unsettling, especially since it wasn’t disclosed on the packaging. The supermarket stated it followed standard sourcing practices, but the incident has raised questions about labeling transparency.