July 9, 2025 | 17:11 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Monday- 09:44, 25/11/2024

China mandates parental oversight to enhance food safety on campus

(VAN) China has urged schools to involve parents in overseeing the food served on campuses, reaffirming the country's commitment to safeguarding the health of its younger generation.
As public awareness of health grows, food safety has increasingly been a red line in society.

As public awareness of health grows, food safety has increasingly been a red line in society.

Parent oversight commissions should be established to ensure parents' rights to supervise the bidding and procurement of food materials, principals dining on the same food with students, the evaluation of food quality, food safety checks and transparency in expenses and revenues, according to a Ministry of Education document.

Headteachers are the first to be held accountable for campus food safety and the management of related funds, said the document. Schools should appoint food safety officers, with a dedicated food safety director required for cafeterias serving more than 500 individuals, it added.

Schools must conduct a food safety and satisfaction evaluation every semester among teachers and students, and among parents separately, and provide feedback on the results, according to the document.

Last month, parents accused a private middle school in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, of serving stale meat to students. An official probe found the pork in question was substandard due to improper transportation and storage.

As public awareness of health grows, food safety has increasingly been a red line in society. In response to the Kunming incident, for example, an investigation was launched the same day, with results made public three days later.

More notably, authorities have launched a province-wide campaign to identify and address potential food safety concerns on campus.

Law enforcement has also been intensified. Prosecutors said Wednesday that they had brought more than 24,000 related cases against 41,000 individuals in court between 2019 and 2023.

China has 1,610 national food safety standards, evaluating 340 food categories with 20,000 parameters. There are also more than 100 regional standards.

China prioritizes public health, with food safety at the top of its standards' agenda, Tian Jianxin, an official in charge of food standards, surveillance and assessment at the National Health Commission, said earlier this month.

H.D

(Chinadaily)

Vietnam to strengthen biosecurity in the face of new risks

Vietnam to strengthen biosecurity in the face of new risks

(VAN) By improving biosecurity and traceability, the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health aims towards a sustainable pig farming industry.

Hai Phong eliminates IUU fishing boats

Hai Phong eliminates IUU fishing boats

(VAN) Hai Phong has successfully resolved the issue of IUU fishing boats through decisive action, marking a major step forward in the journey to lift the European Commission’s 'yellow card' warning.

Hai Phong's agricultural potential poised for strategic investment opportunities

Hai Phong's agricultural potential poised for strategic investment opportunities

(VAN) Despite its ideal location and rich natural resources, Hai Phong's agricultural sector continues to face challenges, with fragmentation and underdevelopment, largely due to outdated processing technology.

Beat air pollution: Act immediately, act correctly, act responsibly

Beat air pollution: Act immediately, act correctly, act responsibly

(VAN) This was the directive of Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy at the Consultation Conference on the Air Pollution Control Action Plan for the 2025–2030 period, held on July 5 in Hanoi.

In reversal, Japan now wants rice farmers to produce more. Will it work?

In reversal, Japan now wants rice farmers to produce more. Will it work?

(VAN) For more than half a century, the Japanese government has encouraged rice farmers to grow less of the crop so that prices of the national staple grain remained relatively high and steady.

Northwest Vietnam forges regional links to take control of agricultural value chains

Northwest Vietnam forges regional links to take control of agricultural value chains

(VAN) The Northwest Agricultural Production and Trade Forum emphasised the importance of building certified raw material zones, reorganising production, and strengthening value chain linkages. Models in Son La are paving the way for regional cooperation.

Lai Chau calls for solutions of planting code issues to sustain medicinal gingseng development

Lai Chau calls for solutions of planting code issues to sustain medicinal gingseng development

(VAN) The current procedures are cumbersome and ill-suited to local gingseng production conditions, creating difficulties for both local authorities and ginseng producers.

Read more