On January 28, multiple schools issued urgent notices to parents following an investigative report by Dan Viet newspaper. The report raised serious concerns about food hygiene standards at An Phuoc Thang SG Trading Co., Ltd. - a company contracted to supply lunches to local schools.

Nguyen Van Huong Primary School in Phu Thuan Ward announced it would suspend lunch services starting January 29 while waiting for official inspection results from relevant authorities. In the meantime, parents have been asked to arrange two-way transportation for their children or provide packed lunches, with a commitment to ensuring food safety.

Tan Quy Primary School in Tan Hung Ward also halted lunch services on the afternoon of January 28. The school cited an ongoing investigation by the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department (PC03) into the same food supplier. Parents were advised to plan alternative lunch arrangements for their children and coordinate with homeroom teachers to manage student rest time and eating spaces during the lunch break.

Combined, the two schools reported that over 2,200 students have been directly affected by the sudden halt in lunch programs.

Urgent action from education authorities

In response to the incident, Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, confirmed that all relevant departments have been tasked with launching an immediate inspection. The aim is to verify the facts and ensure student health and safety while addressing oversight in school kitchen operations.

The Department had earlier issued directives urging all schools citywide to strictly adhere to regulations concerning food safety in meal programs, reinforcing that student health is the top priority.

Schools have been instructed to only sign contracts and organize food provision with suppliers that fully meet food safety standards. The selection and evaluation process must be public, transparent, and documented. Every shipment of food must have clear origin information, traceability, delivery and receipt logs, and signatures from both the sender and receiver. Absolutely no expired, spoiled, damaged, or untraceable food is to be accepted.

Stricter rules on food handling in schools

The Department has mandated that all schools maintain full records of supplier contracts, legal documents, invoices, inspection logs, food sample records, hygiene logs, and any official inspection reports if available.

Particular attention has been given to the use of cooking oils. Only oil with verified origin and valid expiration dates is allowed. Schools must maintain usage logs and are strictly prohibited from reusing frying oil or mixing old and new batches. Any oil with unusual odors, discoloration, foaming, or residue must be discarded immediately.

The crackdown comes amid rising concerns among parents and educators about the quality and transparency of school lunch operations. Several previous incidents involving substandard or suspicious ingredients - such as a recent case involving 90 kilograms of low-quality frozen pork - have heightened scrutiny of food safety in schools.

As the investigation continues, Ho Chi Minh City’s education authorities are expected to take decisive action to protect students and restore public confidence in the school lunch system.

Le Huyen