The Nanjing Press (TNP):

Today's Lead Story

Sweatshop Kitchens; Dirty Food Delivery Underbelly









21 August 2018; reports of a building in the city centre that churns out 10,000 meals a day has caused many to question the safety and quality of food delivery in Nanjing.





The second and third floors of the building on Zhongshan Dong Lu in Xinjiekou house 21 takeaway kitchens that have been investigated by reporters for the Modern Express.





Think sweatshops, but for food, that produce in excess of 70,000 meals for city dwellers every week. A typical kitchen occupies approximately ten square metres, where cooks splatter oil all over windowless walls day in, day out.





Takeaway containers are stacked high, while food delivery men are seen dashing up and down stairwells, keen to deliver meals fast. Sweating profusely in the summer heat, men cook with their tops off as they trudge sloppy floors, firing three woks at a time.





Cockroaches were spotted everywhere in the filth, but that does not seem to phase the people who work there, who claim they can make anything between ￥70,000 to ￥20 million annually.





Those numbers are staggering indeed and it is what most aspire to, but starting out is no easy feat. “According to a boss, surnamed Wang, average net income for a food delivery outlet in its two opening months is about ¥6,000. The average annual income for sellers is estimated to be ¥200,000”, the article exposed.





So what are the food delivery health concerns?





Reporters for Modern Express were shown business licenses from the 21 kitchens and while all online documentation required by the food delivery APPs had been completed, they found that which they witnessed in person to be of great concern.





Leftovers stuck to woks and oil splatter on the walls was deemed “serious” by the reporters. Vegetables were seen being handled without gloves, while merchants dumped plastic baskets of vegetables on top of uncooked chicken nuggets. Most unbearable of all, reporters say, was the lobster kitchen at the end of the third walkway, where bowls of lobsters sat side by side toilet doors.





The takeaway building in Xinjiekou is not alone, as more and more eateries are seen around the city giving up space for diners in order to renovate their businesses into delivery-only kitchens. The Nanjinger spoke to residents living in a community that backs five such businesses “No, these places aren’t for eating in, they’re all for delivery”, one Hankou Lu resident told us.





Included in the media report was information provided by the Nanjing Food and drug Administration office that reveals the city currently has more than 20,000 food and beverage outlets on the delivery platforms. Major APPs such as “Ele Me” (Hungry?) have stated they are consistent in keeping up strict safety standards.





The Nanjing Food and Drug Administration admits that when they are starting out, delivery kitchens provide clean spaces for inspection, but often fail to keep up with hygiene and safety standards, becoming dirty in the longer run.





The department says it pulls roughly 20 businesses offline each month that do not match standards. However, the report stated, “The take-away business has a wide range of places, while the relevant departments have limited resources and it is difficult to cover them all”.





Consumers are advised to call 12331 if they suspect a food delivery outlet of cooking in an unhygienic manner. The relevant authorities will then follow up with the kitchen concerned.









The Nanjing Press (TNP):

Today's Other Headlines

Nanjing University Collects Big Student Data









Nanjing University has collected the data of freshmen in order to better arrange living quarters.





In a report published by Pakistani newspaper Dawn, one of the country’s top universities, Nanjing University, released an online questionnaire surveying students on their living habits, personal hygiene habits, also their preferred products and interests.





The collecting of such data has some concerned as to why the university should need to know such information. However, the institution assures those concerned that such will only be used in order to better allocate dormitories.





Teacher, Li Hao, told Dawn Newspaper that about 80 percent of students have already voluntarily completed the questionnaire and that, “The university will adopt the latent factor model algorithm to deal with the big data…this algorithm will help match students with similar mindsets”.





Students who went through the same system last year sing it praises, stating they, “Had no idea that a room full of girls could get along that well”.





Man on Motorcycle Injures Police with Knife





Photo courtesy of Yangtze Evening News



A man traveling on a motorcycle who ran a red light has slashed an officer with a fruit knife after being pulled over.







20 August 2018; Yancheng traffic police pulled over a man on a motorcycle who ran a red light.





Instead of cooperating with police, the man refused to pull his bike over, so officers took the key from the ignition and parked the bike beside the road.





Enraged, the man reportedly shouted at police, “If you don’t give me my key back, I’ll slap you with a knife!” After which the man suddenly jumped off his motorcycle and waved a knife in the air subsequently brushing the officer's face.





The man then tried to stab the officer, who used his baton to free the knife from his hands.





The man was later arrested when back up arrived and has now been detained awaiting punishment.





Father Drives Daughters 3,000km in Tractor Home for Summer Holiday







Photo courtesy Sina Weibo

From Hebei to Hainan, a father has driven his daughters 3,000km in a tractor-home for the summer holidays.







The so-called “Tractor RV” has traveled from Xingtai City in Hebei to Hainan, China's southern island province, in the process also passing through Henan, Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong.





Liang Zi is the father of the two girls who have together travelled far and wide in his tractor-home, which was gifted to him by fellow villagers when he made a trip to Tibet last year.





Talking with reporters from Sina, Liang Zi said that, “The children are stronger and independent, and they have learned a lot of knowledge that is not in books… I am very happy to see the two children so happy”.





Building the trailer home himself, the creative vehicle features a double bed, a door and three windows, occupying 10 square metres. Stuck to the inside walls are perhaps Liang Zi’s visions for the future; two maps one of China and one of the world.





Nanjing Erects Street Cigarette Ashtrays







Photo courtesy of Yangtze Evening News

In efforts to further clean up the streets of Nanjing, 50 street ashtrays have been installed around the city.







Marked with the words "Smoke Extinguisher", such ashtrays have been installed at various scenic spots and crowded areas around the city.





Officials are aiming to, “Guide the public to develop good hygiene habits and reduce the spread of cigarettes”.





“The inside and outside of this collector are made of stainless steel, which is resistant to high temperatures. We clean it regularly, which is very convenient”, Lu Zhanqi, a sanitation worker told reporters from Yangtze Evening News.





Additional cigarette ashtrays are to be installed in more areas of the city soon.









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