The Seoul Metropolitan Government will conduct a comprehensive hygiene inspection of school cafeterias until September 11 to prevent the risk of food poisoning with the start of the fall semester. This inspection is carried out in a public-private partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, 25 district offices, 11 education support offices, and consumer food hygiene monitors.
The inspection targets 473 schools, including 254 elementary schools, 131 middle schools, and 88 high schools, excluding schools that have already been inspected in the spring semester. The city completed inspections of 780 schools, including 341 elementary schools, 204 middle schools, and 235 high schools, in the first half of the year, finding no violations of the Food Sanitation Act.
The inspection team is composed of approximately 80 people, including members from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, district offices, education support offices, and consumer food hygiene monitors. Key inspection items include the cleanliness of the kitchen, health examinations and handwashing of staff for personal hygiene, expiration dates of ingredients, standards for refrigeration and freezing, and whether preserved foods are kept for 144 hours.
Additionally, 50 samples of ingredients and prepared foods will be collected for a detailed examination at the Seoul Institute of Public Health and Environment to check for the presence of pathogens such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and norovirus. If violations of the Food Sanitation Act are detected, fines of up to 10 million won will be imposed, and any violations will be immediately corrected.
Last year, an expiration-date exceeded product was found in the kitchen of Elementary School A, but prompt inspection and correction prevented a food poisoning incident. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is committed to preventing such risk factors in advance, reducing concerns among parents, and ensuring a safe meal environment.
Alongside the hygiene inspections, the city is also promoting food poisoning prevention guidelines for mass-cooked meals. These guidelines include: rapid cooling and portioned storage of food after cooking, heating meat to a core temperature of 75°C and seafood to 85°C for more than one minute, keeping hot food above 60°C and cold food below 5°C, serving cooked food immediately, and reheating stored food before consumption.
Yang Gwang-sook, head of Seoul’s Food Policy Division, stated, “During the fall season with high temperature variations, neglecting food storage and personal hygiene can increase the risk of food poisoning. Continuous inspections and promotions will create a meal environment where students and parents can feel at ease.”