By Chen Chunge

and Han Jing

As food prices for vegetables, meat and eggs soar, young mothers in Hangzhou are feeling unsure about whether their kids will get sufficient nutrition from the 5-yuan (78 US cents) meals served at local kindergartens.

Despite increasing food prices, meal fees remain unchanged.

One mother surnamed Wu said that she is worried about whether the kindergarten could still guarantee a quality lunch, and said she would prefer to pay more for a good lunch for her child.

Wu, who is also a member of the Parents’ Committee at Wen Ding Yuan Kindergarten, said that the actual cost per meal has increased to 7 yuan. “Previously, milk was provided every day, but now my child only gets milk twice a week and soybean milk is served during the rest of the week,” she said. “Shrimp has also been replaced by cheap fish.”

Wu, like other parents, is not satisfied with the lower quality of her child’s food.

“We want our children to eat healthy food, no matter how high the cost,” she said.

Many other parents have posted similar grievances online through outlets like Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

Administrators at the kindergarten said that parents should not worry about their children. The menu is specially formulated by nutritionists, who will ensure the children’s nutrition.

“Parents understand that we are offering the food and suffering a loss financially. We are currently developing price adjustment programs, which is expected to be introduced on Sept 15, increasing meal prices to about 7.5 or 8.5 yuan per meal,” said a director at Xinhua Kindergarten.

“We can barely make ends meet, depending on the subsidies offered by the local financial department. Food prices should be consistent with the current price levels. We have to get some food from the government, which could mean a 10 to 20 percent discount,” he added. “We also make some desserts by ourselves.”

An official with the Hangzhou Education Bureau said that the meal fee is charged in line with the exact cost of one meal, but each kindergarten can adjust its price according to market fluctuation.

Another kindergarten, Wangzhuang, explained that it will provide a daily menu to the parents and a list of the costs of raw materials if requested. The Hangzhou Education Bureau also welcomes parents to monitor the quality of the food.

Should they find any problems, they can report them to the district education bureau, officials said.