Third kindergarten in Wuhu found with spoiled food

A new round of food safety reviews has been ordered in Wuhu, Anhui province, after a third kindergarten in the city was found on Tuesday to have used expired seaweed and soy sauce.

The Wuhu Commission for Discipline Inspection announced on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation. Eight officials are being probed, including the directors of two district market regulation bureaus.

The head of the Mingzhu Kindergarten has been suspended and a team comprising food and drug inspectors, police and education authorities has been formed, the local government said on Wednesday.

All food products in the storage and cooking units at the school have been sealed and cataloged, and are being examined.

The food safety authority said on Friday after a "sweeping review" covering all 55 schools in the district, that no food safety hazards or rule violations had been found.

That review was undertaken after expired food was found at two other kindergartens.

Wuhu police detained a second suspect in the earlier incident, after detaining the principal, who heads both schools, on Saturday. Two other principals have been appointed to take charge.

The second suspect, surnamed Wang, 49, was "directly involved in the production and sale of substandard food products" found in Tongxin Kindergarten, Wuhu Daily reported.

Parents of children at Tongxin Kindergarten and Dedebei Kindergarten complained last week about spoiled food and expired ingredients in meals prepared by the schools. Their concerns prompted authorities to conduct on-site inspections, which led to the discovery of moldy rice, expired white vinegar and spoiled sausage. Food units on the campuses were shut down.

Both kindergartens are now operating normally, and school meals are being prepared and delivered by different vendors, under the direct supervision of local market regulators, according to the city government.

The canteen on the campus of Tongxin Kindergarten will be reopened.

"We will monitor the whole process from purchasing ingredients to cooking," Dong Jiazhong, a member of the parents association at Tongxin, was quoted as saying.

Results of the examinations of food residue and tableware are expected by Friday.