英语新闻丨New standards aim to ensure safe school meals

China has released its first national standards aimed at regulating school meal providers, part of a broader effort to improve food safety for the country's more than 230 million schoolchildren following a series of incidents that have sparkedpublic concern.中国发布了首部旨在规范学校餐食供应商的国家标准。在一系列引发公众关注的事件发生后，中国正致力于改善全国2.3亿多名学童的食品安全，该标准便是这一广泛努力的一部分。The "Guidelines for the Management of School Meal Service Providers", issuedby the State Administration for Market Regulation, will take effect on Dec 1 and apply to companies that prepare and deliver meals to primary and secondary schools as well as kindergartens.国家市场监督管理总局发布的《学校餐食服务供应商管理指南》将于12月1日生效，适用于为中小学及幼儿园准备和配送餐食的企业。The guidelines are designed to address food safety risks across the entire supplychain, from menu planning and ingredient procurement to food preparation, delivery and emergency response, officials said.有关部门负责人表示，该指南旨在应对整个供应链中的食品安全风险，涵盖从菜单规划、食材采购到食品制作、配送及应急响应等各个环节。"School meal provision involves wide coverage and multiple steps and has become a key area of supervision," said Qu Hao, an official with the administration,in an interview with China Central Television. "The guidelines offer clear, standardized instructions for schools and meal providers to follow."国家市场监督管理总局官员曲昊在接受中央电视台采访时表示：“学校餐食供应覆盖面广、环节多，已成为监管的重点领域。该指南为学校和餐食供应商提供了明确、规范的操作指引。”The new rules require providers to appoint food safety directors and dedicated inspection staff, conduct daily safety checks and analyze risks monthly. Staple ingredients such as rice, flour and cooking oil must be purchased from designatedsuppliers, and all batches of ingredients must undergo testing, including checks for pesticide residue.新规定要求供应商任命食品安全总监和专职检验人员，进行每日安全检查并每月分析风险。大米、面粉、食用油等主食食材必须从指定供应商处采购，且所有批次的食材都必须经过检测，包括农药残留检测。Food preparation processes will be monitored through "smart kitchen" systems that allow parents and schools to view operations in real time, while samples from each meal must be retained for at least 48 hours for safety checks. Delivery vehicles must be sealed, registered with authorities and equipped with GPS tracking.食品制作过程将通过“智慧厨房”系统进行监控，家长和学校可实时查看操作情况，同时每顿餐食的样本必须留存至少48小时以备安全检查。配送车辆必须密封、在有关部门登记并配备GPS追踪装置。If food safety issues are detected, providers must immediately initiate recall procedures and report incidents to local regulators.如发现食品安全问题，供应商必须立即启动召回程序，并向当地监管部门报告事件。The guidelines come as Chinese authorities move to strengthen oversight of school meals following recent incidents. In one case, more than 200 children at a kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, were found to have elevated blood lead levels after kitchen staff used diluted industrial pigments in meals. Six people have been arrested and an investigation is ongoing.此前发生的一系列事件后，中国有关部门正加强对学校餐食的监管，此次指南的出台便是在此背景下进行的。在甘肃天水的一所幼儿园，厨房工作人员在餐食中使用稀释的工业色素，导致200多名儿童血铅水平升高。目前已有6人被捕，调查仍在进行中。The Ministry of Education has urged local education departments to use the summer break to conduct safety inspections and train school administrators and canteen staff in food safety management before the new semester begins.教育部已督促地方教育部门利用暑假进行安全检查，并在新学期开始前对学校管理人员和食堂工作人员进行食品安全管理培训。Authorities are also encouraging schools to offer affordable day care services during the summer using public facilities while reminding parents to remain vigilant when choosing summer camps and after-school programs to protect children'swell-being.有关部门还鼓励学校利用公共设施在暑期提供价格合理的日托服务，同时提醒家长在选择夏令营和课后项目时保持警惕，以保障儿童的健康福祉。The ministry has stressed that schools are not allowed to conduct classes duringthe summer vacation, delay the break or start the fall semester early, and should limit homework assigned over the summer.教育部强调，学校不得在暑假期间开展课程、推迟假期或提前开始秋季学期，且应限制暑假作业量。China's efforts to tighten oversight of school meal services aim to ensure "safety on the tip of the tongue" for millions of students, regulators said, as the government works to address public concerns over food safety and child welfare.监管部门表示，中国加强对学校餐食服务的监管，旨在确保数百万学生“舌尖上的安全”，政府正着力解决公众对食品安全和儿童福利的关切。school meal providersn.学校餐食供应商/skuːl miːl prəˈvaɪdəz/food safety risksn.食品安全风险/fuːdˈseɪfti rɪsks/