Police called in after investigation into food safety incident at Shanghai schools

People involved have been controlled by police and the supplier's operations temporarily taken over by a state-owned enterprise after an investigation by Shanghai authorities on a food safety incident relating to lunches at local schools.

According to a joint announcement released on Tuesday by the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, Shanghai Market Supervision Administration, and Shanghai Education Commission, school meal supplier Shanghai Green Jie Industrial Development Co Ltd was found to be hiding the truth after discovering insects in a batch of thawed shrimp to be used in the school lunch boxes for a primary school in Jing'an district on Sept 15. The contaminated batch was part of a larger delivery destined for 211 schools across Shanghai.

Investigation revealed that upon discovering the issue, the company's actual controller, surnamed Zhang, ordered the immediate withdrawal and disposal of all shrimp-related products from affected schools. However, Zhang instructed the general manager to claim the withdrawal was due to sand contamination, rather than acknowledging the presence of insects, as regulated.

The shrimp in question were imported frozen white shrimp from South America, manufactured on March 20 with a 24-month shelf life. The products had passed all required import inspections and quarantine certifications.

Of the 211 schools that received shrimp-related dishes that day, 161 recalled the raw materials, semi-finished, and finished products. However, according to the announcement 50 schools had already served the meals before receiving the withdrawal notice.

Laboratory tests on school samples showed negative results for bacteria including salmonella, vibrio parahaemolyticus, and staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin. Tests of unused shrimp from the same batch confirmed major chemical indicators were within national food safety standards, with no unauthorized preservatives detected.

A joint working group comprising various municipal departments is now overseeing the company's operations, with a state-owned enterprise temporarily managing operations to ensure a stable and safe school meal supply.

The education department also promised strengthened food safety supervision by implementing regular sampling inspection systems, and expanding the participation of parents, industry experts, and third-party institutions. All districts will review their school meal supply bidding processes and increase transparency in school officials' meal participation programs.

"Food safety in schools is an absolute red line that cannot be crossed," stated the joint announcement. "We maintain zero-tolerance for food safety violations and are committed to providing safe, nutritious, and appetizing meals for teachers and students."

The issue broke out after some parents complained of a bad smell from the shrimp and scrambled egg dish served to their children at school, leading to heated discussions online.

Contact the writer at zhengzheng@chinadaily.com.cn