On October 16, parents of students at Changfeng School in the Guandu District of Kunming, Yunnan, expressed collective outrage over allegations that the school cafeteria served spoiled meat. Parents reported that “the whole bowl of meat smelled bad.”

In response to the food safety concerns raised online regarding Changfeng School, the Guandu District has formed a joint investigation team to look into the matter. Today, the investigation team shared their findings.

Firstly, regarding the issue of unpleasant odors in fresh pork slices and the production date of imported frozen beef served in the cafeteria, it was revealed that the cafeteria’s operating company, Yunnan Runsheng Property Service Co., Ltd., appointed Yunnan Caiyunjian Catering Management Co., Ltd. as the ingredient supplier on October 13.

In response to parental complaints about the foul-smelling fresh pork slices reported on October 16, tests conducted by the Kunming Food and Drug Inspection Institute and Yunnan Sanzheng Technical Testing Co., Ltd. confirmed that the volatile basic nitrogen levels in this batch of pork (23.8 mg/100g) exceeded national safety standards (which stipulate no more than 15 mg/100g), rendering the meat unfit for consumption. Further investigation showed that this batch of pork was slaughtered on the same day. Despite having the necessary inspection certificates, the meat was not cooled after machine slicing and was stored in double plastic bags at room temperature for nearly four hours before being left out in the cafeteria for another five and a half hours, leading to spoilage due to improper transport and storage methods.

Regarding the complaints about expired imported frozen beef marked with “2015,” the investigation clarified that the production date of this beef is actually May 2024, with a two-year shelf life. The “2015 SIF” label seen on the packaging refers to the registration number of the foreign food production company, not the manufacturing date.

Secondly, the investigation examined the legality of the cafeteria’s contracted management and the compliance of Yunnan Runsheng Property Service Co., Ltd. with operational regulations. Changfeng School, a private secondary institution, was established in 2016 by Yunnan Jinnuo Education Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd.

While Yunnan Runsheng was contracted to manage the cafeteria in August 2024, the school failed to report this to the relevant educational authorities as required. The school did not effectively vet the qualifications of the cafeteria’s operating company and displayed a “hand-off” approach to management, leading to a lack of adherence to food safety protocols. Furthermore, the school principal did not fulfill their responsibilities as the primary person accountable for food safety, failing to appoint food safety management personnel or provide adequate training for staff.

The investigation found that while Yunnan Runsheng had a business license and a food operating permit, the permit only covered the sale of pre-packaged and bulk foods, lacking the qualifications for catering services. As a result, their operation of the school cafeteria constituted an unauthorized change in business activities, as they did not submit a request to update their operation scope. Food safety management protocols were also poorly implemented, with inadequate verification of incoming ingredients and improper food storage practices.

Lastly, the investigation team outlined several sanctions:

1. An investigation has been initiated against Yunnan Jinnuo Education Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd. and the school’s legal representatives for their failure to fulfill their responsibilities as school operators.
2. The school principal and legal representatives will face termination of their positions.
3. Changfeng School must reorganize its board of directors, revise its governing documents, and enhance its governance practices in compliance with the law. The school will be guided to include staff representatives and parental committees in significant decision-making processes and improve transparency in school affairs.
4. The school is mandated to establish a comprehensive food safety monitoring mechanism and implement a system wherein school leaders dine with students, allowing parental representatives to accompany meals as well.
5. Under the Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China, the school is ordered to rectify its failure to uphold food safety management responsibilities with a warning, and will incur a penalty of 100,000 yuan for serving unsatisfactory food.
6. Educational authorities at both the municipal and district levels will form a specialized task force to oversee the school’s operations, ensuring that normal educational processes are maintained and teaching quality remains stable.

Regarding the involved companies:

7. Based on relevant sections of the Food Safety Law and food business regulations, Yunnan Runsheng will be prohibited from continued operation, ordered to cease activities and return 460,000 yuan in illegal earnings, alongside a fine of 5.68 million yuan; they must also rectify the sale of unapproved food, incurring an additional penalty of 100,000 yuan.
8. Supplier Yunnan Caiyunjian Catering Management Co., Ltd. has been directed to halt operations and submit to investigation, with penalties to be determined based on the findings.

Finally, the Kunming Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection is taking over the supervision of the case, with investigations initiated against relevant officials. Currently, the director and deputy director of the District Education and Sports Bureau, as well as the deputy director of the District Market Supervision Administration, have been suspended pending further investigation.

(Reported by Wang Xi and Chen Zheng, edited by Yang Yalong)