68 Cases Including Trademark Counterfeiting, Expired Consumption Time, and Concealed Operations
Prosecutor Referral, Administrative Sanctions, and Procurement System Usage Restrictions Implemented
The Gyeongnam Office of Education, which launched a special inspection of school meal suppliers, announced on the 20th that it detected 68 violations at companies in the Changwon, Gimhae, and Yangsan areas.
According to the provincial Office of Education, from March 27 to April 14, dawn and daytime inspections were conducted on 117 companies, accounting for 39% of the 303 school meal suppliers in the three regions.
The special inspection involved staff from the provincial Office of Education, education support offices, Gyeongnam Provincial Special Judicial Police and Food and Drug Department, sanitation and livestock departments of city and district offices.
The Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), parents, and nutrition teachers also participated.
The inspection found 68 violations across 11 categories at 60 companies.
The special inspection team for school meal suppliers is inspecting the inside of the company. [Photo by Gyeongnam Office of Education]
The provincial Office of Education plans to take measures within the authority of each institution according to the nature of the non-compliance, including 6 cases referred to prosecution, 37 cases requested for investigation, 6 administrative sanctions, and 19 restrictions on using the school meal electronic procurement system (eaT).
Minor violations were corrected through on-site guidance.
The main violations included ▲attaching the supplier’s own company label to delivered products ▲storing frozen products in refrigerators for the purpose of selling them as refrigerated products ▲failure to prepare production and work records ▲violations of the prohibition on paid transportation by private cargo vehicles, such as delivering other companies’ goods using private cargo vehicles.
▲Establishing multiple shell companies to increase bid rates, with some companies presumed not to be conducting actual business ▲Companies that registered as group meal service food sellers in Gyeongnam to win bids but are presumed to actually operate in Busan ▲Storing products past their expiration date ▲Failure to conduct employee hygiene training, among others.
The provincial Office of Education plans to strengthen guidance and inspections together with related agencies for suspected shell companies or poor-quality suppliers that could undermine fair competition and reduce the quality of school meals.
They will also enhance the activities of the School Meal Subcommittee and strengthen post-evaluation of meal suppliers using the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) system.
Yoo Sang-jo, Director of the Education Welfare Division, said, “Many meal suppliers are working hard for school meals, but some companies presumed not to be conducting actual business and those with poor cleaning and hygiene conditions were found during this special inspection. We will do our best to ensure that safe and high-quality food ingredients are supplied to schools.”
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