In China, a series of three food poisoning incidents within 10 days have resulted in hundreds of students being hospitalized, highlighting a serious lapse in food safety oversight. Experts widely believe that this is an inevitable outcome of the long-term corruption and collusion of power within the communist regime: regulatory failures, moral decline, and censorship make it difficult for the truth to be exposed, turning food safety into a casualty of power and profit.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, these incidents unfolded rapidly at school cafeterias across the country. From Huamei Experimental School in Puning, Shanwei, Guangdong on September 11, to Chaoyang School in Yanzhou District, Jining, Shandong on September 12, and to a sandwich incident at a Meijiale bakery chain store in Xishui County, Zunyi, Guizhou on September 18, mass food poisoning cases occurred in three different locations, with hundreds of students and parents falling ill in a short period of time, some experiencing severe symptoms.
This series of accidents once again highlights the deep crisis in China’s food safety system and the long-term impact of social media platforms in blocking the truth.
The first incident began on September 11 at the primary school section of Huamei Experimental School in Puning, Guangdong. That morning, 94 students began to experience vomiting and diarrhea. Official reports stated that 85 students had been discharged, with only 9 remaining hospitalized.
However, interviews conducted by Epoch Times with several parents revealed that a large number of children were still hospitalized, and some children were even in critical condition admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). One parent, with the pseudonym Shi Li, told Epoch Times that the school’s cafeteria was outsourced, and when parents uploaded videos seeking help, the city’s public security bureau chief personally called to demand the deletion of the videos.
Just a day later, on September 12, another mass poisoning incident occurred at Chaoyang School in Yanzhou District, Jining, Shandong. Officials claimed that 138 students and teachers were hospitalized for mild symptoms. However, videos taken by internet users at the hospital showed overcrowded treatment rooms with students receiving intravenous therapy, far exceeding the official numbers reported.
On September 18, an even more serious incident unfolded in Xishui County, Zunyi, Guizhou, where over a hundred students and parents were poisoned. According to official reports, only 29 out of 208 sandwiches produced by the “Michael Meijiale Bakery” were urgently recalled, with the remaining 179 having been already sold.
These sandwiches, which led to the food poisoning, were mostly purchased by parents accompanying their children after school between the afternoon and evening of September 16. Shortly after consuming them, the children complained of stomach pains, diarrhea, and later developed fevers up to 40 degrees Celsius.
Some of the hospitalized children were diagnosed with conditions like kidney stones, renal edema, vomiting blood, and liver and kidney function damage. The child of Ms. Li, for example, was in critical condition and had to be transferred from Xishui County People’s Hospital to the First People’s Hospital in Zunyi, and further sent to undergo surgery at Chongqing Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Liu, interviewed by Epoch Times overseas, believes that these incidents are not coincidental but rather the result of the long-standing negligence in the entire food supply chain.
According to official testing in Guizhou, the poisoning was linked to Salmonella infection. “Many merchants, in pursuit of profit, don’t care about the lives of others at all,” Dr. Liu lamented.
He explained that many Chinese schools outsource their food services to businessmen who, in order to cut costs, use low-quality ingredients or even add chemicals, have lax disinfection procedures, improperly handle meat, and are prone to carrying Salmonella bacteria.
Associate Professor Feng Chongyi, an expert on China issues at the University of Technology in Sydney, told Epoch Times that these incidents are not mere coincidences. “This is not getting worse, it’s just a matter of when it gets exposed. There are plenty of cases of toxic food normally, they just don’t get a chance to be revealed.”
In July of this year, a major campus food safety incident occurred in Gansu Province, where kindergarten students and teachers were poisoned by industrial-grade lead paint in their food. Reportedly, the event led to 235 children being hospitalized, some experiencing abdominal pain, nausea, and even blackened teeth.
Official investigations revealed multiple instances of negligence: the Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention violated sampling regulations, the Second People’s Hospital of Tianshui City tampered with test data, the Education Bureau tolerated unlicensed and highly-priced kindergartens, and several school, hospital, and government personnel were under investigation for suspected corruption.
The root of ongoing food safety scandals in China can be attributed to the dual breakdown of morality and the system. Feng Chongyi emphasized that although there are inspection mechanisms for food safety, officials driven by local and departmental interests tend to turn a blind eye after receiving bribes, rendering the inspection system ineffective and allowing the issues to repeat.
At the same time, interviewed experts believe that the suppression of information and persecution prevent the spread of truth; the societal complicity in harming each other results in the sacrifice of the safety of the most vulnerable children.
Sheng Xue, a Canadian commentator and editor-in-chief of “China Spring,” told Epoch Times reporters, “This is a systemic problem of communist tyranny.”
She expressed that the Communist Party has never truly prioritized people’s lives and food safety, and since the reform and opening up period, has solely focused on interests. “Power and benefits are intertwined, with companies pursuing maximized profit and the government sharing in the gains, making effective supervision nearly impossible.”
Reflecting on the melamine milk powder scandal in 2008, where nearly 300,000 infants were affected, she noted that similar food poisoning incidents on school campuses continue to occur over a decade later.
Sheng Xue warned that the consequences of information censorship lead to the public being unable to learn the truth, giving wrongdoers free rein. She stated, “You can only be a victim. Once you resist, you will become the next victim.”
She expressed concern that over time not only children and families would suffer from health and psychological trauma, but the whole society would plunge into silence and fear, leading to a reinforcing cycle of malignant behavior and indicating society in China has fundamentally decayed.
Feng Chongyi underlined that the profound dilemma of ongoing issues stems from the decline in morality and the corruption in the system. While there are inspection mechanisms in place for food safety, officials at various levels, influenced by local and departmental interests, accept bribes and turn a blind eye, causing the inspection system to malfunction and the problems to persist.
Moreover, interviewees believed that the censorship of speech and persecution prevent the dissemination of truth; and the societal complicity and harm lead to the repeated sacrifice of the safety of the most vulnerable children.
Sheng Xue stated, “When information is blocked, victims can only quietly endure. Once you resist or speak out, you become the next victim. And under the tight bind of power and interest, illegal acts have almost ‘no cost.'”
She concluded that such malevolent incidents are no longer accidental events but manifestations of the systemic evil of the Communist Party. “If the tyranny does not fall, one by one, the people of China will.”