Court acts on school food safety

A market near a school was fined 1,000 yuan ($140) in punitive damages after being sued by a parent for selling expired snacks priced at 4 yuan, China's top court said on Thursday.

The Supreme People's Court highlighted the case and the penalty as an example of the judiciary's commitment to ensuring food safety in and around school campuses.

Seven other similar landmark cases were also released, with the court underscoring the importance of adhering to campus food safety to protect the health of students, the happiness of their families and social development, calling it an important public welfare initiative.

The court noted that primary and secondary school students are more vulnerable to unwittingly consuming expired or substandard food because they have limited ability to recognize safety standards and limited awareness of legal rights.

"Some vendors exploit these vulnerabilities of children by selling potentially hazardous food around school areas, which harms the minors' health and needs to be severely punished," it said.

The top court said that by imposing high punitive costs, the local court was aiming to dissuade similar actions.

"By increasing the amount of fines, it will not only help deter illegal activities such as selling harmful food to students, but also contribute to creating a safer consumer environment," it added.

In recent years, the top court has issued multiple legal documents in cooperation with other authorities. One clarified that individuals and organizations will face heavier penalties if they sell harmful food within or near school campuses.

In another case disclosed on Thursday, a man surnamed Luo was sentenced to seven months in prison and had 120,000 yuan in illicit gains confiscated for selling counterfeit and substandard food products to a college cafeteria. He was also fined 100,000 yuan.

The court said that from 2020 to March 2021, Luo bought duck breast rolls at 20 yuan per kilogram and sold them as premium beef rolls at 32 to 44 yuan per kg to the university canteen.

On March 2, 2021, regulators seized unsold frozen "beef rolls" from Luo's market stall and confirmed the products were duck, not beef.

"Due to its low cost, duck meat is used by vendors such as Luo to impersonate more expensive beef and lamb for illegal earnings," the court said. "To mimic the taste and make detection difficult, these people often add beef or lamb fat and flavorings, and disguise the meat in forms such as jerky, rolls or meatballs, which obscure its original characteristics."

The court stressed that adhering to food safety in school cafeterias is vital to the well-being of students and teachers. Whether operated internally or outsourced, it said, strong supervision is essential. Schools were urged to select reputable, certified suppliers and increase inspections.

Alongside criminal punishment, China has strengthened efforts to ensure children can access safe food. An audit rectification report released in late 2024 said 384 people in eight provincial-level regions have been held accountable for mishandling funds allocated for rural students' meals.