China warns officials, fires kindergarten principal over ‘mops in cooking pots’ scandal

Whistle-blower expresses relief upon seeing the announcement, saying, ‘The children there can eat clean food now’

Local Chinese authorities have issued warnings and demerits to 11 officials and dismissed the entire kitchen staff at a kindergarten following a teacher’s revelation about unsanitary practices, including washing dirty mops in cooking pots.

On June 30, several children at the Affiliated Kindergarten of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology in Jiangsu province exhibited symptoms such as nausea and vomiting during and after lunch.

Parents had been inquiring about the kindergarten’s hygiene throughout the summer break, but they received no official response until September.