The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 3rd that it will conduct hygiene inspections of 473 school cafeterias in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and other relevant agencies until the 11th. This inspection aims to preemptively eliminate the food poisoning risk factors associated with the new semester in the fall.
The targets for inspection include 254 elementary schools, 131 middle schools, and 88 high schools in Seoul, excluding those schools that were inspected around the spring semester. Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted inspections of a total of 780 elementary, middle, and high schools in the first half of the year. No violations of the Food Sanitation Act were detected during that inspection.
The main inspection items include ▲hygiene and cleanliness in raw material storage rooms, cooking rooms, and washing rooms ▲health examinations for staff ▲personal hygiene practices such as hand washing ▲compliance with hygiene management standards for food ingredients such as expiration dates, storage standards (refrigerated and frozen), and preservation for 144 hours.
In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to collect food ingredients and prepared foods for detailed testing for foodborne pathogens through the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment.
If violations of the Food Sanitation Act are detected during this inspection, fines of up to 10 million won may be imposed.
Yang Kwang-sook, the head of the Food Policy Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, noted, "The large temperature difference in the fall can increase the likelihood of food poisoning due to improper room temperature storage of food or negligence in personal hygiene management," and added, "We will continue inspections and enhance promotions to create a safer meal environment for parents and students."