On the morning of November 4, Mr. Nguyen Thai Vinh Nguyen, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City, said that schools will re-organize boarding meals from November 6.

This number includes two secondary schools, Truong Thanh and Phu Huu, and four primary schools, including Phu Huu, Truong Thanh, Phuoc Thanh, and Long Thanh My. Previously, these schools signed a contract to provide meals for boarding students with a company in Long Thanh My ward, Thu Duc city.

On October 25, parents of Phu Huu Primary School discovered rotten chicken in the school’s refrigerator. After that, the schools announced that they would temporarily suspend the provision of lunch and terminate the contract with the catering unit to find a new partner.

About 4,500 students were affected. Families had to pick their children up at noon to have lunch and then return to school or send them to school with lunch in the morning.

Mr. Phan Thanh Phai, Principal of Phu Huu Primary School, said that over the past week, the school and the parents’ association have been urgently searching for a new meal provider that meets food safety requirements. According to him, resuming the early resumption of boarding meals will help parents and students have less trouble.

The Head of the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City said that the locality will conduct surprise inspections of collective kitchens, canteens, and food service establishments in schools to promptly detect and handle violations of food safety and hygiene.

Since the beginning of the school year, the quality of the students' meals has received attention from parents. In Ho Chi Minh City, parents of Phuoc Long B Kindergarten (Thu Duc City) complained that the school bought expensive food, worrying about their children's food portions. In Hanoi, Yen Nghia Secondary School was accused of having a meager lunch or that many students of Thanh Cong B Primary School had intestinal infections after their meals.

Currently, the organization of school canteens is carried out according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health, and local authorities. Depending on their conditions, schools can organize their own kitchens or hire outside catering units to deliver meals.

Food and ingredients must have food safety certificates and be checked for quality, freshness, and temperature. Cooked food samples must be kept in the kitchen for 24 hours to help trace the cause if an incident occurs.

Le Nguyen