Compulsory education schools are required to provide childcare services to relieve parents of their burden. To cater to students' dining, Pingtan, an island city off E China’s Fujian province, has built three central kitchens, so students would be able to enjoy a hot meal during recess.

At 9 a.m. on Oct. 26, reporters from Pingtan CMC visited Shihui Central Kitchen. The kitchen was bustling as the chefs tossed and flipped their fired woks. At 10:20, the staff packed up the prepped food and loaded them onto a waiting truck, ensuring they reached the students by 11 a.m.

Shihui Central Kitchen, covering an area of over 2,500 square meters, is the first batch of standardized central kitchens built in Pingtan. There are multiple functional rooms such as kitchens, a steamer room, fresh vegetable storage, a prepping room, and a food inspection room. In 2020,  Pingtan piloted the after-school caring service and the company started operation on a trial basis.

The staff pictured being busy in Shihui Central Kitchen.

Yang Shao, the person responsible for Shihui Central Kitchen, introduced that to ensure food safety, all the ingredients are procured from a sole supplier. They undergo three tests in the process. All staff must prove their health before work, and get vaccinated against Covid-19.

"Besides, the entire central kitchen is closed and employees who enter are not allowed to go out before finishing their work. Moreover, the lunch boxes for students are made of food-grade materials that can be sterilized in high-temperature water or microwave," Yang said.

Wei Li, an official from the Market Supervision and Regulation Bureau of Pingtan, said the central kitchens are put into daily supervision.

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