Authorities in Kunming, Yunnan province, have announced the dismissal of the principal and the legal representative of a private middle school following an investigation that revealed the school cafeteria had served spoiled meat to its students.

The contract operator of the cafeteria — found to be unqualified for managing it — was fined nearly 5.8 million yuan ($810,000) for the violation, said a statement released late on Saturday.

The investigation was prompted by videos shared online by parents of students at Changfeng School in Kunming's Guandu district on Wednesday.

The clips, which raised concerns about broader food safety issues, depicted parents responding to their children's complaints about the food in the cafeteria. The parents were filmed confronting cafeteria workers, alleging that trays of pork slices emitting strong and unpleasant odors were being used for cooking.

Some parents even reported that expired beef with a production date from 2015 was being served.

In response to the online outcry, the statement said the district government promptly assembled a joint investigative team to address the concerns.

The team confirmed that the pork slices in question had been freshly butchered on the same day and had proper food safety certificates.

However, the meat supplier, Yunnan Caiyunjian Catering Management Co, failed to maintain the cold chain during transportation, leading to spoilage after the meat had been left at room temperature for up to nine hours.

Regarding the allegations concerning the expired beef, the task force clarified that the term "2015 SIF" on the packaging denoted the manufacturer's registration number, not the production date.

The beef in question was actually produced in May and had a two-year shelf life, the task force said.

The school, owned by Yunnan Jinnuo Education Investment Holdings Group Co, had contracted Yunnan Runsheng Property Services Co in August to manage its cafeteria without reporting this decision to the local education bureau as required, the investigation found.

While Yunnan Runsheng was licensed for sales of prepackaged food, it lacked clearance for cafeteria operations.

Consequently, the school's principal and legal representative were dismissed, and a restructuring of the school's board of directors was ordered. The school, which was fined 100,000 yuan for the food safety scandal, was also directed to enhance transparency and parental involvement in school affairs.

"Changfeng School failed to conduct a thorough review of the operational qualifications of the cafeteria operator, and it had contracted out management without oversight and adopted a superficial approach in management," the statement said.

The statement also proposed the establishment of rules mandating school leaders and parental representatives to dine with students in the cafeteria.

Yunnan Runsheng, the cafeteria contractor, was penalized with the confiscation of 460,000 yuan in illegal income, and an additional fine of 5.78 million yuan for operating outside licensed categories and serving substandard food.

Yunnan Colorful Clouds, which supplies Yunnan Runsheng, was instructed to halt operations pending further investigation, with penalties to be imposed accordingly.

Some officials, including the director of the district's education and sports bureau and a deputy director of the district's market regulator, have been suspended from their duties indefinitely.

lilei@chinadaily.com.cn