Tighten management of school canteens

Current status of boarding kitchen

In recent days, information about a mass poisoning incident at a school in Nha Trang city has made many parents and schools quite worried. At Nghi Phu 1 Primary School (Vinh city), teacher Nguyen Thi Hong Minh - Principal of the school said: "For a long time, the organization of a boarding kitchen for students at our school has been carried out in accordance with the procedures and under the supervision of the Parents' Association. In recent days, the association has been supervising more frequently...".

The communal kitchen of Nghi Phu 1 Primary School has a rather small area. For many years, the school kitchen has followed a one-way process. At more than 10 a.m. (November 22), the kitchen completed the preparation of more than 500 meals for students. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha - the school's cook said: "I have worked here for many years but have never dared to neglect my work, especially the issue of food safety and hygiene. We strictly follow all procedures. I myself also participate in food safety training courses and have regular health check-ups every year."

The principal of Nghi Phu 1 Primary School checks food safety at the school's communal kitchen. Photo: My Ha

Regarding the organization of meals for students at the school, teacher Nguyen Thi Hong Minh said: Ensuring the safety of food sources is very important. Currently, the school has signed contracts with a number of units in the city and a number of individual businesses to supply foods such as green vegetables, meat, fish and some processed products. According to regulations, all suppliers must have a certificate of food hygiene and safety and necessary business conditions.

After food is delivered to the school, the school requires kitchen staff to properly perform the 3-step food inspection and keep food samples.

Food is delivered to each classroom. Photo: Thanh Chung

In recent times, food safety and hygiene for collective kitchens has been of concern to all schools in the province and has been implemented quite systematically. However, for various reasons, in many schools in areas with many difficulties, especially in remote areas, it is still difficult to implement according to regulations due to the lack of facilities and other regulations...

In fact, although it is called a collective kitchen, in Nghe An there are many forms of organization including a semi-boarding kitchen for teachers, a semi-boarding kitchen for people, and in some mountainous schools, students often bring food to school and teachers will help cook rice and soup for students. Here, implementing the regulations on one-way kitchens or the regulations on three-step inspection is difficult. The main food supplies are also only from reliable sources or from self-sufficient sources in the localities.

According to the procedure, all food samples must be kept in the refrigerator. Photo: My Ha

Speaking more about this, Ms. Vo Tuyet Chinh - Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tuong Duong district said: "Currently, in Tuong Duong district, 100% of kindergartens and more than 50% of primary and secondary schools have organized collective kitchens for students. In recent years, the district has required schools to uphold their responsibilities in the implementation process and the district regularly inspects and supervises. However, the organization of collective kitchens in schools still faces many difficulties. In particular, due to inadequate facilities, the number of schools that can organize one-way kitchens is still small, many kitchens are quite simple and rudimentary.

In kitchens in disadvantaged areas, it is difficult to find food sources, so there is not much fresh, delicious food or food with proper documentation. In this context, we encourage schools to increase their own production to provide clean vegetables for students, or find reliable sources from parents or teachers.

Tighten management

The report on food safety in schools by the Department of Education and Training also pointed out difficulties such as: There are many food sources on the market of unknown origin, making it difficult to control before bringing them to schools.

The Nghe An Province Food Safety and Hygiene Department conducted supervision at 44 school kitchens in the province and discovered many problems. Photo: CSCC

Besides, the coordination between functional agencies in exchanging and providing information is not yet tight, affecting the management of food quality.

Faced with concerns about food safety in school kitchens that could cause poisoning and serious consequences, in recent years, authorities in Nghe An have proactively increased guidance, supervision, inspection and examination.

Right from the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, on September 6, 2022, Nghe An Department of Health issued Official Dispatch No. 3536/SYT-NVY on strengthening food safety and preventing food poisoning at schools in 2022-2023 to the People's Committees of districts, towns and Vinh city.

Organizing meals for students of Muong Xen Primary School, Ky Son District. Photo: My Ha

Next, under the direction of the Department of Health, on September 14, 2022, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 153/QD-ATTP to monitor food safety at schools in Nghe An province in 2022.

Implementing this decision, the Food Safety Supervision Team at schools in Nghe An province in 2022 has deployed supervision at 44 school canteens in the localities of Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, Que Phong, Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Quynh Luu, Thai Hoa town, Cua Lo town, Hoang Mai town and Vinh city. In the localities, the team invited officials from the local Health Department and the Department of Education and Training to participate.

Doctor Pham Ngoc Quy - Head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department of Nghe An province said: Of the 44 school canteens that were monitored, 22/44 met the standards (accounting for 50%); the remaining 22 facilities still had some conditions that did not ensure food safety and hygiene. The results of testing filtered water samples from 37 schools showed that 12/37 samples did not meet the standards (accounting for 30.43%)...

Through monitoring kitchens at schools, a number of other violations were discovered, such as:

The establishments' owners and employees have not participated in food safety and hygiene training as prescribed; have not properly implemented the regulations on the 3-step food inspection regime and food sample storage; have not tested the water source used for processing and filtered drinking water as prescribed; have not designed and arranged the preliminary processing and processing areas to ensure separation and avoid cross-contamination; and do not have separate utensils for raw and cooked food.

In addition, there are not enough tools to contain solid waste in the processing area; the food storage warehouse is not arranged and organized properly; the drainage system in the processing area is stagnant and not covered; the walls and ceiling are peeling; the floor is cracked and water is stagnant; there are no measures to prevent insects and harmful animals; and the practices of employees are not in accordance with regulations.

Through the supervision of the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, many collective kitchens have not tested the water source used for processing, and drinking water has not been filtered according to regulations. Photo: CSCC

Currently, the Department of Food Safety has made recommendations to the People's Committees of districts, towns and Vinh city to strengthen the direction of food safety management. For schools that still have conditions that do not ensure food safety and hygiene, it is necessary to immediately correct the existing content and comply with the provisions of the law on ensuring food safety and hygiene as prescribed.

In particular, facilities with water sample test results showing unsatisfactory indicators must absolutely not allow students to drink directly without boiling; strictly comply with food safety and hygiene conditions as prescribed by law; overcome safety conditions and re-test the drinking water source to ensure it meets safety indicators as prescribed./.