On October 21, reporters from China News Service in Hefei learned from the Anhui Provincial Market Supervision Administration that since the launch of a special campaign addressing prominent food safety issues in schools last April, substantial progress has been made. As of now, Anhui Province has invested 4.1 billion yuan to enhance the hardware of school canteens. In total, 25 regulatory documents have been issued statewide, including three at the provincial level, alongside six local standards (three at the provincial level) and seven group standards (four at the provincial level). These efforts have led to positive advancements in food safety across schools in the region.
According to statistics, 4,065 school canteens in Anhui have newly installed 23,522 sets of “three defenses” equipment. Additionally, 2,694 canteens have equipped 6,844 sets of dining utensil cleaning and disinfection facilities. A total of 2,074 canteens have upgraded other equipment, adding 7,279 devices such as sample storage cabinets, refrigerators, air conditioning exhaust hoods, vegetable cutters, washing machines, and video cameras for open kitchens. Furthermore, 89 disinfection storage rooms have been newly established. In terms of training, 1,336 sessions have been conducted, reaching an audience of 87,199 individuals.
The Anhui Provincial Market Supervision Administration, in collaboration with the Anhui Provincial Department of Education, has introduced several initiatives, including notifications on enhancing management of food safety in school canteen operations, establishing a food safety response mechanism in schools, and implementing supervision regulations for collective catering service units. Notably, the province has pioneered a “School Food Safety Response Mechanism,” effectively addressing and resolving 971 complaints and suggestions. Additionally, they have implemented three provincial local standards and four group standards focused on pest control management in school canteens, campus food delivery service standards, and disinfection management for collective catering units.
