University canteens keep a spotless reputation
Print Edition
WITH 18 canteens in seven universities in Songjiang University Town serving meals to about 100,000 students and teachers a day, food safety is obviously a high priority.
A recent inspection of all the canteens by the Market Management Authority found that all food-quality specifications were being met.
A food-safety information online platform is currently being created that will be able to track ingredients down to every bottle of seasoning and every piece of cabbage.
At the same time, canteen staff are required to document each time any ingredient is handled, and keep receipts and invoices.
“We have two canteens, one run by the school and the other outsourced to a catering company,” said Zhu Xiansheng, canteen director at Donghua University. “They serve about 10,000 diners every day. So far, we have had no food safety lapses.”
Food service workers are required to wear clean uniforms, a hat and a facemask. They have to wash their hands with disinfectant and expose them to ultra-violet inspection.
The kitchen and dining facilities must be kept dry and clean, and cooking areas must be well-ventilated and well-lit.
In the kitchen of Shanghai International Studies University, a sample of each “dish of the day” is kept in refrigeration for 48 hours to provide clues if any food-quality issues arise.
On the walls, the qualification certificates of the kitchen staff are displayed. Renewing certificates often requires refresher training courses.
Canteen workers attend training sessions on how to store and handle food, especially during warm and rainy seasons when food is most likely to go bad.
And lest any students wonder about the safety of what they are eating, tours of the kitchens are provided periodically.
Meanwhile, a recent spot check of online food delivery services at Songjiang University food found that more than 70 percent of meal couriers did not have required health certificates and about 30 percent of delivery bags fell short of standards.
The inspection was conducted by the Songjiang Market Management Authority, the food safety department of Guangfulin Community, the local police department and the urban management office.
Inspectors posted themselves at the entrances of four student dorm complexes and noted down ID information on every food deliveryman. Few were carrying health certificates.
In addition, nearly a third of delivery food bags were found to be dirty. Some couriers even carried meals in common plastic bags or wrapped up in oily, dirty paper boxes that had obviously been used for other purposes beforehand.
The inspectors and police officers showed the deliverymen the newly issued Shanghai Food Safety Regulations and ordered them to clean up their act.
At the same time, police swooped on unlicensed eateries near the dorm complexes and closed them down.
In the next phase of monitoring, government authorities will step up efforts to crack down on unlicensed caterers. Meetings with third-party online platform operators will be held, and illegal operations will be reported to the food safety department.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
