A dead rat was found in a condiment container at a cafeteria at a vocational college in China, sparking controversy over food hygiene.
According to China Central Television (CCTV) on the 5th, a student who was eating lunch at the cafeteria of Jianghai Vocational and Technical University in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, on the 1st found a rat in a spice jar.
On the 3rd, the student posted a picture of a rat in a spice jar on social media. In the video, you can see a rat floating in the marinade with eyes, nose, and mouth so clearly visible that they can be easily identified with the naked eye.
The original video was deleted shortly after, but it quickly spread, being shared more than 300,000 times. As a result, voices calling for an explanation and fact-finding investigation from the school grew louder online.
The school issued an apology on the 4th, the day after the video was posted, saying, “We confirmed that there was a rat in the seasoning container placed on the food distribution table during lunch time on the 1st,” and “We apologize for causing trouble due to poor hygiene management.”
He then explained, “We organized a special work team and immediately began investigation and processing,” adding, “We stopped operating the restaurant, sealed the food ingredients and tableware, and ordered them to be inspected by a specialized agency.”
He added, “We are assessing the health status of the eight teachers and students who consumed the seasoning in question,” and added, “We are preparing measures to prevent recurrence.”
Yangzhou City Market Regulation Bureau and Public Security Bureau and other relevant authorities began investigating the circumstances of the incident. An official from the Jiangsu Provincial Office of Education also said, “We are in contact with the school, and the national Internet department and public security local government department are already investigating.”
This is not the first time hygiene issues related to rats have been raised in China. Earlier, at a hotpot chain restaurant in Yueqing City, Yunzhou, Zhejiang Province, a rat was spotted eating raw beef left on the restaurant work surface. Rat heads were found in food at the cafeteria of a vocational college in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.
In addition, the food hygiene controversy in China continues. Recently, a butcher shop in the eastern province of Anhui was shown processing raw lamb into a person’s mouth. Last October, a video was posted on Weibo showing a worker at a Tsingtao beer manufacturing plant in China appearing to urinate on raw materials.
Hyewon Lee, Donga.com
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.