A Shanghai catering service provider that serves 28 local schools is being investigated following a food safety scandal, the city's food and education authorities said on Tuesday.
The investigation came in the wake of a call on the city's 12331 food hotline about bad vegetables and a messy kitchen at Shanghai SMIC Private School's campus on Friday.
Mildew vegetables, expired seasoning and semi-finished food products, and fabrication of production date of semi-finished food have been found at the canteen of the private school, said the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration and Shanghai Education Commission following a swoop inspection targeting the canteens of 28 schools and kindergartens and their catering service provider Shanghai Eurest Food Technologies Services Co Ltd.
A bottle of seasoning with fake labeling was found at the canteen of Shanghai SMIC Kindergarten, and a bottle of expired flavoring was spotted at the canteen of Concordia International School Shanghai with expired bread found at its garbage bin outside kitchen, according to authorities.
No food safety problem was found at the other schools and kindergartens, authorities said.
The three schools and kindergarten have been ordered to stop catering services from the Shanghai Eurest Food Technologies Services Co Ltd immediately with the food operator being put under investigation.
Local education authorities also ordered the headmaster of Shanghai SMIC Private School to be sacked and accept investigation.
Severe punishment will be imposed if illegal acts are found or any interest-motivated trade is uncovered during investigation, authorities said.
New catering service provider will be selected for the three schools and kindergarten.
The city's food and education authorities have ordered strengthened inspections to ensure food safety of school canteens.
Deeply sorry
Shanghai Eurest apologized in a statement released on the website of its parent company, Compass Group (China), on Monday, saying they are deeply sorry for the worry the incident has caused the students and the families.
It said it has set up a working team and engage third party food safety company to conduct a thorough inspection of all projects and vendors in a statement.
It has also suspended catering services to SMIC Private School and some other schools in Shanghai per the request of the schools and parents.
It said it would rectify and conduct additional training on food safety for all employees.
