BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 600 school cafeterias have been given administrative penalties during China's latest inspection tour of such facilities, and more than 20,000 have been ordered to eliminate potential food safety hazards, according to a food watchdog statement released on Friday.
Although the punishments were not specified, Chinese administrative penalties usually involve fines and revocations of licenses.
As of the end of March, 130,000 school cafeterias across China had been overhauled during a joint inspection launched by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) and the Ministry of Education, according to the SFDA statement.
The two organs will conduct a new wave of inspections from May to the end of June, in a bid to prevent food poisoning in the warmer months and examine the implementation of the government order on ensuring food safety.
A series of food poisoning cases have been reported by schools in the past month, raising fears among Chinese students and parents.
Schools are required to increase students' awareness of food safety, and relevant departments are urged to strict supervision, the statement said.
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