Suppliers that falsely label the origin of school meal ingredients or violate food-poisoning bacteria detection standards will be barred from bidding on school meal procurement contracts for up to six months. [Newsis]
Suppliers that falsely label the origin of school meal ingredients or violate food-poisoning bacteria detection standards will be barred from bidding on school meal procurement contracts for up to six months. [Newsis]

Suppliers that falsely label the origin of school meal ingredients or violate food-poisoning bacteria detection standards will be barred from bidding on school meal procurement contracts for up to six months.

The Ministry of Education said Tuesday that the Cabinet approved an amendment to the enforcement decree of the School Meals Act. The revised decree takes effect Thursday.

The amendment follows a revision to the School Meals Act passed in February, and sets out specific criteria under which schools may restrict or exclude from contracts suppliers that have violated hygiene, safety management or origin-labeling requirements when purchasing meal ingredients.

School principals may bar suppliers from bidding or exclude them from negotiated contracts for one to six months, depending on the nature and severity of violations of the Food Sanitation Act, the Livestock Products Sanitation Management Act or the Act on Origin Labeling of Agricultural and Fishery Products.

Suppliers convicted of falsely labeling the origin of food products — or using labeling likely to mislead consumers about origin — face a six-month ban from school meal contracts. Selling meat from diseased animals, or distributing or selling livestock products that failed inspection, also carries a six-month bidding ban.

Suppliers that sell food violating food-poisoning bacteria detection standards face a four-month ban, as do those that lack refrigeration or freezing facilities or fail to keep such equipment in operation. Selling food that is rotten, spoiled or otherwise likely to harm health draws a ban of two to six months, depending on the type of violation.

School principals must also take steps to verify, when announcing a procurement bid or proceeding with a negotiated contract, whether any participating supplier is subject to a bidding restriction or contract exclusion.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the ministry had "established a legal basis to proactively block the possibility of harmful ingredients being supplied through thorough management of school meal suppliers, and to ensure the use of ingredients with greater quality and safety." He added that the ministry would "work to protect students' health and improve the quality of school meals."


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