18-7-2023 (BEIJING) Students of a vocational school in Zengchang District, Guangzhou, were alarmed when they found foreign plastic objects in their school cafeteria meals. The circular-shaped and slightly transparent objects were suspected to be condoms, according to a video news clip posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo. One student reported the incident to the media.
On the sixth day of training held at the venue of the vocational school, some students discovered the foreign objects in their food. The Guangzhou vocational school responded immediately by holding all kitchen staff accountable and penalizing them with salary deductions. The chef involved in the incident was also expelled. The school set up a team to investigate the source of raw materials, possible operational errors, and review canteen processes.
The school identified the unknown object to be “duck’s eyeball membrane.” However, the student who reported the incident, surnamed Li, found the explanation unsatisfactory. He pointed out the discrepancy between the foreign object and a duck’s eyeball membrane, and there was no third-party test report used to support the school’s conclusion. Li requested a refund of his remaining meal credits and an improvement in the cafeteria’s sanitation standards.
On Jul. 18, relevant departments intervened in the case, and test results are pending. Guangzhou’s Market Supervision and Administration Bureau posted on Weibo that the canteen involved has been ordered to close, and the students’ health conditions are being monitored closely.
