Several young children at the affiliated kindergarten of Nanjing University of Information Engineering experienced nausea and vomiting symptoms after their lunch, sparking a heated discussion online. The incident was later revealed to have been caused by issues in the kitchen, such as the mixing of cleaning sinks and using cooking pots to wash mops.
June 30 was the last day of the spring semester. Many young children at the affiliated kindergarten of Nanjing University of Information Engineering experienced nausea and vomiting after consuming their lunch that day.
Following the incident, parents continued to press for the reasons behind the children’s collective discomfort. However, as of the start of the new semester in September, parents had still not received an official explanation from the kindergarten management.
Official reports have not yet confirmed a direct causal relationship between the children’s vomiting on June 30 and violations in the kitchen operations.
The matter gained renewed attention in mid-September.
On September 14, the kindergarten’s health teacher and cafeteria safety officer, Teacher Wang, disclosed on social media that there were issues in the kitchen, such as unauthorized use of ingredients and mixing of cleaning sinks. The vegetable-washing sink had been used to wash hair, shoes, and mosquito nets, while cooking pots were employed to clean mops and sewer grates.
Teacher Wang stated that she had repeatedly raised these issues with the kindergarten principal but no action was taken.
According to reports, Teacher Wang provided photos showing kitchen staff using cooking utensils meant for food preparation to clean mops and sewer grates.
These revelations sparked attention online, prompting local authorities to claim they had formed a joint investigation team.
On September 21, kindergarten staff stated that the implicated principal, the personnel in charge of logistics safety, and all kitchen staff had been dismissed. When asked if there would be a public explanation of the situation, the staff said they were not sure of the specifics.
When pressed for the specific reasons behind the children’s vomiting on June 30, another staff member said the incident was “still under investigation.”
On September 22, the joint investigation team in Nanjing’s Jiangbei New District reported that Principal Zou was deemed the primary responsible party for deliberately concealing kitchen management issues and failing to rectify related problems. The deputy principal in charge of logistics, Qin, was found to have not implemented the relevant regulations as required, leading to managerial discrepancies.
Currently, a total of 11 individuals, including relevant personnel from Panting Street, the Jiangbei New District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, and the district’s education bureau, have been disciplined with severe warnings, demerits, and party-censure for their roles in the incident. The kindergarten principal, deputy principal in charge, and the chef involved in the case have been dismissed from their positions.
Based on the available information, official sources have acknowledged severe hygiene management issues in the kitchen. However, the public reports have not conclusively identified specific violations, such as “using cooking pots to wash mops,” as the direct cause of the children’s vomiting on June 30.