Loaves of bread have been taken off store shelves in Japan after the remains of “a small animal” believed to be a rat were found.

Production of the bread was halted at a Tokyo factory, with 104,000 packages being recalled, according to Pasco Shikishima Corp.

The company apologized and promised compensation.

“We will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your cooperation,” it said in a statement this week.

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

The company, based in Nagoya city, central Japan, also makes rolls, bagels and muffins.

Jobless claims at highest level since August

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped to its highest level in more than eight months last week, another indication that the red hot U.S. labor market may be softening.

Unemployment claims for the week ending May 4 rose by 22,000 to 231,000, up from 209,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Though last week’s claims were the most since the final week of August 2023, it’s still a relatively low number of layoffs and not cause for concern.

The four-week average of claims, which softens some of the weekly volatility, rose by 4,750 to 215,000.

Last month, U.S. employers added just 175,000 jobs, the fewest in six months and another sign that the labor market may be loosening. The unemployment rate inched back up to 3.9% from 3.8% and has now remained below 4% for 27 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s.