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CJ Food System will stop providing school meals in the aftermath of the country¡¯s biggest food poisoning scandal in the metropolitan region, where 2,314 students in 30 schools fell ill after eating CJ-supplied school dinners.
CJ president Lee Chang-keun told reporters on Monday his company feels accountable for the incident, ¡°whatever its cause.¡± ¡°We will discontinue operating school cafeterias at 93 primary and secondary schools and 35 universities,¡± he said.
¡°To help schools run their own cafeterias as early as possible, our company will donate the facilities we set up and teach them our know-how in cafeteria operation,¡± Lee said ¡°As part of these efforts, we will station nutritionists at schools at our own expense until the cooks there can stand on their own feet.¡±
Korea¡¯s largest food supplier earned 10 percent or W67.2 billion (US$1=W959) of its revenues last year from food for school cafeterias. Its decision will cost the firm dearly since it spent W22 billion on setting up cafeterias at 128 schools. It will also cause considerable damage to subcontractors supplying vegetables, fish and meat to CJ, as well as problems for schools.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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