A scandal erupted in Kirs over larvae in schoolchildren's food.

      A furious post recently appeared on the public page "Real Kirs". The author posted a photo (see left) and wrote, "Here, Comrade Shibanov (school principal — editor's note), this is what they feed the children in the senior high school!!! And for money too."

      In the comments several people wrote that they encountered the same problem. One of them says, "Yeah, my son also came home from school and said he won't eat at school anymore. He also showed such photos." Another: "All the kids are talking about today is a lunch with worms."

      City residents were outraged, firstly that no one apparently properly checked the grain before cooking (or after), secondly that they have to pay for such food, and thirdly that Rospotrebnadzor and the prosecutor's office are not paying attention to the situation.

      A comment also appeared under the post from a user called "КОГОБУ СШ с УИОП г. Кирс". On behalf of the school administration, in particular Nikolai Shibanov, it was reported that on September 3 during lunch some students indeed found larvae (presumably moth larvae) in the side dish (rice). The school conducted an internal investigation into the incident. It turned out that the rice had been delivered to the school on August 25 by a Kirov company; at the time of acceptance all accompanying documents were present, the shelf life was within limits, and the product had been delivered in sealed sacks.

      "Before cooking the side dish the rice was rinsed in a colander and then in a tub, but unfortunately it was not possible for the cook to detect small white 'moth larvae' in such a large quantity of rice," the comment says. When students and teachers began to complain, the cooks started preparing buckwheat; however, they did this not promptly and did not remove the rice from circulation, for which the head of the canteen and the cooks were held disciplinarily responsible.

      It is also reported that the school's commission drew up an act because the above product did not comply with the declaration of conformity and sanitary-epidemiological requirements. On the basis of this act a claim was sent to the supplier.

      "The school administration apologizes for this incident, and in the future the organization of school meals will be placed under special control, and a preventive talk will be held with all the cooks," the author of the comment concluded.

      Despite these measures, city residents remain dissatisfied with the handling of the problem. In their view, parents should be exempted from paying for lunches for at least a month. In addition, residents of Kirs believe that school meals should be under special control at all times, not only after an emergency.