44 schools in Hoai Duc stop allowing students to use milk in their meals

Speaking with Tien Phong newspaper reporters on the afternoon of September 26, Mr. Vuong Van Lam, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Hoai Duc district, informed that in the district, 44 out of 81 schools, with over 19,000 students, use pasteurized fresh milk and yogurt from the same milk company.

Mr. Lam said that after receiving feedback, this unit proactively asked schools to meet with parent representatives to agree on a plan to temporarily stop using the milk while waiting for official conclusions on quality.

According to Mr. Lam, 100% of the above schools have stopped since September 25, until the district publicly announces the results of the food safety certification inspection to parents and schools. Whether or not to continue using it will be decided by the school and the parent committee.

According to Mr. Lam, schools in the district will use this milk from the 2023-2024 school year. This year, the number of schools in the district using this milk is 44 units while last year it was 42.

"Some students had symptoms of stomachache, but through medical examination and school records, the cause was not clear. After receiving feedback, we reported to the district People's Committee leaders and asked the schools to review and have a plan to ensure compliance with regulations," said Mr. Lam.

Some parents said that the school in Hoai Duc where their children study announced that they would switch to another brand of milk for their children until there is a conclusion from the competent authority.

A parent with two children studying at the same elementary school said that her fourth-grade daughter found pasteurized milk and yogurt tasteless, even hard to drink, and stopped using them last year.

Many other parents shared that their children sometimes complained of stomachaches when they were picked up from school. Some other parents also said that their children in the class had diarrhea, vomiting and digestive disorders.

“At first we thought it might be due to other reasons, but after the information about the milk quality was spread in parent groups, many parents in the class began to worry and ask each other. We hope that after this incident, the school will be more careful in approving suppliers that already have a brand name in the market,” said a parent.

Mr. Lam said that after receiving feedback, this unit proactively asked schools to meet with parent representatives to agree on a plan to temporarily stop using the milk while waiting for official conclusions on quality.

Currently, most schools have temporarily stopped using milk while waiting for authorities to conclude the product's quality and food safety.

Do Hop