Ukraine finds food-safety gaps in 52% of schools reviewed

Ukraine’s State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said 52% of schools covered by a two-month review needed to improve processes to meet food-safety requirements, RBC-Ukraine reported. The review covered nearly 8,000 schools, representing 78% of operating schools; the 52% finding applies to those reviewed.

The most common areas needing attention were staff hygiene training, food-safety control procedures and storage conditions. Inspectors found failures to follow approved menus at 706 schools and shortcomings in drinking-water arrangements at 199 institutions. Of 9,069 seasonal menus examined, 367 were returned for revision.

Laboratory testing found deviations in 1,215 of nearly 19,600 samples and swabs. Officials issued 23 decisions to withdraw potentially dangerous products from circulation and temporarily halted food production and/or circulation in eight further cases. The service also reported that 151 employees at 66 educational institutions had missed mandatory medical examinations; 66 people were suspended from work.

The service said checks on compliance with its orders would follow. RBC-Ukraine’s report did not specify the review’s start and end dates or say that all shortcomings had been resolved.