Food control will be strengthened in kindergartens and schools after the mass poisoning in the Tashkent region

On September 27, the press service of the Children’s Ombudsman’s Office published a statement on the need to review the control over the food sector in schools and kindergartens against the backdrop of the mass poisoning of children in the Tashkent region.

The report states that there are instances of non-compliance with legislative requirements and established norms to ensure the safety of children’s food, as well as insufficient effective control mechanisms in this area, leading to cases of causing harm to children’s health.

Investigative bodies must give a full legal assessment of the current situation and unconditionally bring all perpetrators to justice within the framework of the law. At the same time, it is necessary to establish separate strict quality control over compliance with the standards regulating the activities of this sector — the Children’s Ombudsman.

According to the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, the quality control mechanism should be implemented through continuous monitoring of the child food service delivery system. In particular, it is necessary to constantly monitor whether service providers (outsourcing) carry out their activities in accordance with sanitary rules, norms, and hygiene standards, whether food products comply with established requirements, and the level of compliance with other standards.

It is necessary to eliminate corruption risks by minimizing the human factor when concluding contracts for the provision of children’s food services. Another important preventive measure is the introduction of a strict mechanism that will prevent the recurrence of activities of entities that have supplied children with low-quality food products.

The results of the study of the situation will be sent to the authorized bodies for further action.

Children’s health is the health of the nation, and we must take all necessary measures to preserve it and eliminate any risk factors, — the Children’s Ombudsman’s office concluded.

Earlier, it was reported that seven people were detained in connection with the case of poisoning children in the Tashkent region. The case was transferred directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Almost two thousand children were admitted to hospitals, and almost half of them had no confirmed diagnosis. A total of 13 children are in moderate condition, while the rest have mild cases.