On Monday, China's State Administration for Market Regulation revealed that the country will implement its inaugural national standards for school meal services starting December 1. These guidelines will specifically govern enterprises involved in the preparation and distribution of meals to primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens.
With over 460,000 educational facilities in the nation and a student population exceeding 237 million, the new regulations emphasize the importance of food safety. They mandate that meal service enterprises appoint dedicated staff members responsible for overseeing food safety measures and conducting inspections.
Moreover, these enterprises must source vital ingredients, including rice, flour, and oil, from approved suppliers and maintain records of testing for each batch of raw materials. Additionally, the guidelines call for the integration of meal preparation into an internet-enabled system that allows for transparent kitchen monitoring, ensuring that vital operational procedures are accessible to schools, parents, and students.
5 Comments
Michelangelo
These guidelines might sound good on paper, but do we really trust the government to manage school lunches effectively?
Leonardo
Finally, schools will have the oversight needed to ensure that meals are healthy and safe!
Raphael
With 237 million students, can we even trust that this system will be implemented efficiently?
Donatello
I believe this will level the playing field for meal service providers — only those committed to quality will thrive.
Leonardo
The idea of sourcing from approved suppliers is fantastic. We need to support quality ingredients.