Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office for the Department of Education and Training, announced the directive on 29/1. The Department is immediately suspending half-day meal services at schools using Sago Food products to review their practices, prioritizing student health and safety.

This action follows a report by Dan Viet newspaper, which accused Sago Food of supplying schools with expired food and mislabeling buffalo meat as pork or beef. As a result, at least 9 schools have stopped offering half-day meals or switched suppliers, impacting over 6,100 students.

Principals must work with local authorities and parents to quickly find new suppliers, minimizing disruption to students' half-day meals. Schools are also required to publicly disclose daily ingredient lists and food origins. The Department will review all school meal and food suppliers in the area, eliminating those that fail to meet standards.

According to Minh, principals bear primary responsibility for any violations in meal reception and supervision. The Department plans to develop a digital data management system for school food safety, aiming for faster and more accurate traceability and supplier evaluation.

Last week, the Department issued its first specific regulations for managing half-day meals and school hygiene. These regulations prohibit reusing cooking oil or mixing old oil to "save costs". They also restrict or ban single-use foam containers, plastic items, and recycled packaging with unclear origins.

Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office for the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training. Photo: Le Nguyen

Le Nguyen