Concerns about school lunch programs for students.

SGGP October 30, 2023 12:26 PM

Following the discovery of spoiled food in the kitchen of a school lunch provider in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, public concern has arisen regarding food safety and hygiene for students. Current management practices have many loopholes, leaving the risk of food safety and hygiene violations still present.

Is changing suppliers the solution?

On October 26th and 27th, Phu Huu Primary School (Thu Duc City) temporarily suspended its school lunch program for over 700 students after parents complained that the school's meal provider was storing food that showed signs of spoilage and using spices of unknown origin.

Mr. Phan Thanh Phai, Principal of Phu Huu Primary School, said that the boarding school program will be reorganized once the school selects a new meal provider that ensures the safety and health of students. This is the second case of terminating a contract with a ready-made meal provider in Ho Chi Minh City this school year. In mid-October 2023, Van Don Secondary School (District 4) also terminated a contract with a boarding school meal provider after about 60 students experienced stomach pain and vomiting after eating lunch on October 9-10.

The image shows chicken feet showing signs of spoilage, extracted from a video filmed by a parent of a student at Phu Huu Primary School (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) at the catering company that supplies meals to many primary schools in Thu Duc City.

Currently, schools only have the option of terminating contracts with food safety and hygiene providers upon detecting violations. However, what worries parents is that a single food provider often contracts with multiple schools, even supplying meals to various groups (including students and workers). When violations are detected, the provider only has their contract with some schools terminated, while continuing to supply meals to other schools in the same area, despite using the same food sources and kitchens.

Representatives from the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City and other districts and counties stated that the selection of meal providers currently rests with the school principal. Schools proactively coordinate with the parent-teacher association to assess the capabilities of meal providers, thereby selecting a suitable supplier. During the implementation of the school lunch program, schools plan to conduct regular and unscheduled inspections of meal providers to ensure the safety and quality of meals for students.

In reality, inspections are usually conducted by schools only once or twice a year, so it's impossible to fully control the quality of food hygiene. According to the vice principal in charge of boarding at a primary school in Thu Duc City, inspections are mainly based on paper documents, with the two most important being proof of food origin and a food safety certificate issued by the competent authority to the meal provider. “Schools don't have the authority to inspect all kitchen operations, including food storage in the supplier's freezer. That can only be done when there is an inter-agency inspection team or a representative from the health agency,” the school representative stated.

Concerns about food quality in the cafeteria.

Recently, many students at Nguyen Chi Thanh High School (Tan Binh District) complained about the poor quality of their lunch meals, stating that "sometimes the fish was spoiled, other times the beef was tough, and the potatoes were burnt on the outside and raw on the inside, causing many students to have stomachaches." Upon investigation, it was found that the school does not have its own kitchen, so the school canteen provides the meals. After receiving student complaints, the school requested the canteen to make improvements; however, the quality of the meals still does not meet students' expectations.

Similarly, a student from Thu Thiem High School (Thu Duc City) lamented: "The spoons in the canteen are often greasy, and sometimes have white residue on the sides because they aren't washed properly." Currently, most high schools don't have on-campus kitchens; instead, the canteen serves lunch based on students' registrations. Parents and students can choose between eating lunch at the canteen, buying meals outside, or going home to rest during lunchtime until afternoon classes. Therefore, the number of students eating lunch at school varies monthly, and the lunch menu consists of many dishes based on student registrations, unlike the fixed menus in preschool, primary, and secondary schools. This leads to inconsistent food quality.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, one of the school health tasks this school year is to ensure nutritional requirements and food safety and hygiene in school meals. Schools are effectively implementing nutritionally balanced menus suitable for students' age groups. From now until the end of December 2023, the Department of Education and Training, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board, will organize food safety and hygiene training courses in schools, and will also cooperate with the health sector to inspect and monitor food safety and hygiene practices in schools.

In the 2023-2024 school year, Ho Chi Minh City implemented Resolution 04, which stipulates 26 fees and fee levels for services supporting educational activities at public educational institutions. Among these, the maximum fee for school lunches is regulated for each grade level. However, this fee is lower than that charged by many schools in the previous school year. In response to this situation, schools in central areas of Ho Chi Minh City, such as District 1 and District 3, have organized consultations with parents.

Schools cannot charge more for lunch than stipulated in Resolution 04; therefore, to compensate for the difference, schools are forced to cut back on afternoon snacks or issue vouchers for parents to register for additional meals for their children if needed. Mr. Cao Thanh Binh, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, said that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council will coordinate with the Department of Education and Training to assess the actual implementation in schools in order to make more appropriate adjustments in subsequent school years.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bat-an-bua-an-ban-tru-cho-hoc-sinh-post711951.html