Poor Management and Negligence... Gyeongnam Province Uncovers School Meal Ingredient Suppliers

Seventeen companies in Gyeongnam Province that negligently managed food ingredients supplied to schools were caught.

Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 8th that it conducted a joint inspection with related agencies targeting food ingredient suppliers for school meals in the province from the 18th to the 29th of last month and identified the companies in question.

The inspection targeted about 140 large-scale food ingredient suppliers, including food sales businesses and livestock product sales businesses in group catering facilities in Changwon, Jinju, Gimhae, and Yangsan, which have contracts to supply side dishes and meat to about 1,000 schools in the province.

The inspection team is examining the condition of meat stored at the school meal ingredient supplier.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

The inspection involved 12 agencies, including Gyeongnam Province, city and county governments, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, the Gyeongnam Office of Education, city and county education support offices, and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.

These agencies conducted unannounced inspections on compliance with facility standards, hygiene management of workers, storage and management conditions of food ingredients, disguised operations, and other operational conditions of the companies.

The inspection team is examining the accumulated corrosion condition at the school meal ingredient supplier.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

The inspection team plans to impose administrative sanctions such as business suspension, fines, and corrective orders on three companies found to have committed serious violations such as falsifying transaction statements and disguised operations.

Another 14 companies will be registered for suspension from using the Public Meal Integrated Platform for a period ranging from at least 3 months to 12 months.

Ninety-six companies with deficiencies in workplace cleanliness, management of refrigeration and freezing facilities, food ingredient storage standards, management of food ingredient transport vehicles, and storage and management of various documents were given on-site administrative guidance by the respective agencies to improve.

Kim In-su, Director of the Agricultural Policy Bureau, said, “We plan to continue joint inspections with related agencies to improve the quality of school meals and establish order in the distribution of food ingredient supplies,” adding, “We will consistently manage to create a healthy meal environment.”