Student finds live larvae in lunch at Ho Chi Minh City int’l school

A student at Wellspring Saigon International Bilingual School in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City found live larvae in their lunch.

A group of parents from Wellspring Saigon International Bilingual School reported the incident to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday.

According to the report, during Wednesday’s lunch, a student found live larvae crawling in their pan-fried salmon. 

The student screamed and showed the larvate to others.

A school representative confirmed the incident on Thursday morning, stating that a class-7/6 student had discovered the larvae in the salmon dish.

“As soon as we received the information, the kitchen team reviewed the entire meal preparation process for that day, which included vegetable soup with minced meat, spaghetti with minced beef sauce, pan-fried salmon with rosemary leaves, boiled rice, mashed potatoes, egg salad, bell fruits for elementary students, and Phan Rang green apples for middle school students,” the representative elaborated.

The school determined that the larvae likely came from the green apples, which were stored near the pan-fried salmon. 

As fresh fruit, apples can be susceptible to natural larvae, even after being processed. 

Further inspection of the remaining apples revealed some had larvae as well.

“Green apples were added to the menu to provide variety and nutrition for the students,” the school representative added. 

“However, to prevent similar incidents, we will temporarily stop using apples and switch to fruits that are peeled before consumption.”

The school also reviewed the pan-fried salmon dish, which is prepared in three steps at high temperatures, reducing the likelihood of live larvae being present.

The school has invited the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety and local police to investigate and provide a final assessment of the situation. 

They have also sent an email to all parents to inform them of the incident involving students in class 7/6 on Wednesday.

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