Teenagers need to eat food that is good for their bodies while they're still young so that they will grow up to be healthy adults. So it is necessary for school cafeterias (食堂)to provide nutritious and healthy food. With this in mind, the government has introduced a new food safety rule that will improve nutrition and health standards in schools.
The rule came into force on April 1, 2019. It requires the heads of primary and middle schools to eat with students in their cafeterias. Schools will also be required to make information about food sources and suppliers(供应商)public.
The rule also suggests that parents should eat with students at school in order to provide advice on food safety and nutrition. Schools must try to find food safety problems and solve them in a timely manner.
If a school is caught buying low-quality food or failing to report food safety incidents(事件), the head of the school will be warned, fired or handed over to law enforcement(执法机关), the rule says.
Parents across China have become angry about food safety incidents in schools. The most recent example happened in March at the Chengdu No. 7 High School Development School. Parents posted videos and photos of moldy(发霉的)food that was served in the school's cafeteria. Finally, the head of the school was fired. In October, the head of an international school in Shanghai was fired after health and education authorities found moldy tomatoes and onions in the school's kitchen.
What do other schools do?
Schools in other countries have many ways to ensure food safety. For example, many parents in Australia volunteer in their children's school cafeterias. These parents do their best to see that their children are serve nutritious food.
