[Edaily Reporter Kim Min-jung ] A controversy has erupted after a parent revealed that a daycare center served a 1-year-old child food that was completely different from what was listed on the meal plan.

Recently, a post by Parent A, who shared photos of their child’s meals at daycare, appeared on social media. Parent A’s child is a one-year-old born last July.

The meal plan shared by Parent A listed white rice, squid soup, stir-fried duck with chives, braised small anchovies, and white kimchi.

However, the actual photos of the school lunch showed fried rice with ham, red kimchi, seasoned seaweed, and stir-fried medium-sized anchovies cut into small pieces.

Ms. A complained, “At home, I feed my child mostly whole foods like beef and grilled fish—so what’s with the ham fried rice?” She added, “The smoked duck has been replaced with ham, and what’s with the seasoned seaweed? I don’t understand why it’s red kimchi instead of white kimchi.”

Ms. A stated that she had been sending her child to this daycare center for about four months. Although she was informed upon enrollment that the center did not provide meal photos via KidsNote, she entrusted her child to them after hearing from other parents that the children were well cared for and the meals were good.

However, she said this incident has led her to consider switching daycare centers.

Netizens who read the story pointed out the discrepancy between the meal plan and the actual food served. In particular, concerns were raised about whether it was appropriate to serve red kimchi and stir-fried anchovies to a child who isn’t even two years old.

One netizen commented, “From the anchovies that adults eat to the red kimchi—I question whether this is an appropriate meal for a child who isn’t even two years old,” adding, “The meal tray looks almost like an adult’s meal.”

According to the current Infant and Toddler Care Act, daycare centers are required to provide infants and toddlers with balanced, hygienic, and safe meals. The Enforcement Rules of the Infant and Toddler Care Act also stipulate that meals must be served according to a menu prepared by a registered dietitian.

The meal management guidelines from the Child Nutrition Management Support Center state that if a menu change is unavoidable, the reason must be documented and parents must be notified. For infants, the guidelines specify that food size and cooking methods should be adjusted to suit their age.

However, it has not been confirmed why the daycare center in question changed the menu or whether parents were specifically notified of the change.