Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an faces criticism over school lunch saltiness test

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has drawn political scrutiny following his visit to Jinhua Junior High School to inspect school lunches. During the visit, Chiang used an instrument to test the saltiness of the meals, a move intended to address food safety concerns after reports of students suffering from diarrhea.

Critics have questioned the relevance of the test. Shen Po-yang, a Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate, remarked that if students are experiencing digestive issues, the focus should be on hygiene inspections rather than salt levels. Similarly, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che criticized the approach on social media, stating that his administration focuses on the attitude and quality of nutritional lunches rather than measuring saltiness or sweetness.

The controversy follows previous allegations of food safety issues at the school, which the Taipei Education Bureau had characterized as misinformation. While Chiang engaged with parents regarding menu design and catering communication, the emphasis on saltiness testing has become a point of political contention between opposing municipal leaders.