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서울시장 후보간에 벌어지고 있는 ‘학교급식 잔류농약’ 문제에 대해 문용린 후보(현 서울시교육감) 27일 “아이들이 먹는 급식에 농약이 잔류했던 것은 사실”이라고 밝힘에 따라 이에 대한 책임공방이 펼쳐졌다.
문 후보는 이날 서울시교육청 기자실에서 기자회견을 열고 “조리에 들어간 (학교 급식 식재료)에서 샘플검사를 통해 2011년부터 2013년까지 잔류농약이 검출되었다”고 밝혔다.
2011년부터 각각 511건, 722건, 400건의 샘플검사를 한 결과 각각 12건, 4건, 7건의 부적합 판정이 나왔는데, 이 중 매년 3건씩이 서울친환경유통센터를 통해 공급된 식재료에서 나왔다는 것이다.
즉, 박원순 시장이 주장한대로 1차 샘플 검사를 통해 잔류농약을 발견하고 폐기처분한 것은 맞지만, 검사를 마친 후 “무 잔류농약 식재료”로 분류되어 학교에 납품된 식재료 중 일부 샘플을 검사한 결과 여기서 또 잔류농약이 검출되었다는 것이다.
2차 샘플 검사는 3~4일이 경과되었기 때문에 검사 결과가 나왔을 때는 아이들이 이미 해당 식재료로 조리된 급식을 먹고 난 뒤였다는 이야기다.
문 후보 측은 “잔류농약이 검출된 농산물을 공급한 업체를 제재해 달라고 했지만 납품이 계속됐다”면서 이와 같은 문제점을 개선하기 위해 학교급식전자조달시스템(eaT시스템)으로 바꿨다고 밝혔다.
그러나 문 후보측은 서울친환경유통센터를 통해 공급된 식재료 뿐 아니라 eaT 시스템을 통해 유통된 식재료에서도 잔류농약이 검출되었다고 인정했다. 다만 eaT 시스템의 경우, 교육청에서 즉각적인 조치를 취했다고 주장했다.
한편 이와 같은 논란에 대해 진보진영의 조희연 후보는 문 후보 측의 책임론을 들고 나섰다.
조 후보 측은 “학교급식의 1차적 책임자는 지방자치단체장이 아니라 교육감”이라면서 “급식에서 농약이 검출됐다면 그 일차적인 책임은 문용린 현 교육감에게 있지 서울시장에게 있지 않다”고 말했다.
또한 그는 “문 후보가 식재료 구매 방법을 기존의 ‘서울시 친환경 유통센터’를 활용하는 대신 학교 자율에 맡기는 방식으로 규제를 완화했다. 이는 매우 무책임한 규제 완화”라고 비판했다.
(코리아헤럴드 윤민식 기자)
<관련 영문 기사>
Accusations fly in school lunch pesticide row
Candidates for the position of Seoul education chief on Tuesday traded accusations over who was responsible after recent revelations that some of the raw produce used in school lunches contained residual pesticide.
Moon Yong-rin, incumbent Seoul education chief, said that random sample tests found 23 cases of residual pesticides from 2011 to 2013 in school lunches. He said nine of those cases were from companies that provided the food via a distribution center run by Seoul city.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who is campaigning for reelection, recently came under criticism from his conservative rival Chung Mong-joon, who blamed him for the pesticide scandal. Park said that all substandard food was discarded before being supplied to schools.
But Moon said pesticides were found inside raw produce that was cooked and consumed by students.
Cho Hi-yeon, the liberal candidate for Seoul education chief, attacked Moon for the supposedly substandard school meals.
“The primary responsibility for the school meals falls on the head of the education office, not the chief of the local government. If they found pesticide, Moon should take responsibility for it,” he said.
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
Accusations fly in school lunch pesticide row
Candidates for the position of Seoul education chief on Tuesday traded accusations over who was responsible after recent revelations that some of the raw produce used in school lunches contained residual pesticide.
Moon Yong-rin, incumbent Seoul education chief, said that random sample tests found 23 cases of residual pesticides from 2011 to 2013 in school lunches. He said nine of those cases were from companies that provided the food via a distribution center run by Seoul city.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who is campaigning for reelection, recently came under criticism from his conservative rival Chung Mong-joon, who blamed him for the pesticide scandal. Park said that all substandard food was discarded before being supplied to schools.
But Moon said pesticides were found inside raw produce that was cooked and consumed by students.
Cho Hi-yeon, the liberal candidate for Seoul education chief, attacked Moon for the supposedly substandard school meals.
“The primary responsibility for the school meals falls on the head of the education office, not the chief of the local government. If they found pesticide, Moon should take responsibility for it,” he said.
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
