A disturbing incident at Wulidianzi School in Huanren County, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, has sparked public outrage after reports revealed that food discarded by older students was reused and served to younger pupils from a bucket originally used for dog food, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Reportedly, workers were seen discarding leftover food from older students into a bucket meant for dog food, planning to take it home for their pets. However, when younger students came to the canteen shortly after, the workers emptied the discarded food from the bucket and served it to the children .
Parents outraged over school food safety
A group of outraged parents gathered at the school to express their anger, but their concerns were met with limited transparency. The school administration offered to allow the parents to view the canteen’s surveillance footage of the incident, but only under the condition that no recording devices could be used. One mother who witnessed the footage described the emotional impact, saying, “All the parents watching the surveillance video cried.” She then directed a question to the school’s headmaster, asking, “I want to ask the headmaster, you also have a kid, and are you willing to let your kid eat this kind of food?”
In response to the scandal, local authorities have launched an investigation and announced that a team has been set up to probe the matter further.
Reportedly, the incident has resonated widely on social media in China, with the majority of users expressing outrage over the unsanitary practice. One user commented, “They are not our enemy. They are our kids, the future of our country. How do you dare to give them such food?” Another user stated, “Both the school and the relevant staffers should receive a severe punishment. We should let those violating the food safety rules bear an enormously high cost, otherwise they will not be deterred.”
A third person suggested stricter oversight, saying, “The school canteen’s surveillance system should be connected to the parents’ mobile phones, so they can monitor them strictly.”
Food safety concerns on campuses are not uncommon in China. Last year, a similar controversy erupted in a college in Jiangxi province when a student found a mouse head in the dish. Initially, the college claimed it was a piece of duckhead, but further investigation disproved that claim, leading to a “highest-level” punishment for the school management.
(Also read: Shocking video of unhygienic Rewdi preparation in Agra sparks outrage. Watch)
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