LANZHOU, China — A court in China’s northwestern Gansu province on Friday sentenced the operator of a kindergarten to life in prison after lead-tainted food poisoned 247 of its pupils, Xinhua and BBC News reported.
The Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court found that Li Huifang, who ran the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, and executive principal Zhu Jinglin instructed kitchen staff to add toxic materials to food “to make it appear more colorful and attractive for marketing,” Xinhua said. Li was also stripped of political rights for life and had 500,000 yuan (about $74,000) in assets confiscated.
Zhu was sentenced to 15 years and fined 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen workers received six to eight years each for carrying out the instructions.
Investigators found that chefs used inedible paint, clearly labeled as such, to brighten steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns, the BBC reported. Samples contained lead at 1,052 and 1,340 milligrams per kilogram — far above the national limit of 0.5 mg/kg.
Of 251 children tested in July 2025, 247 had abnormal blood lead levels, and 235 were hospitalized. Officials later found that dozens of provincial officials and hospital staff tried to cover up the case by tampering with blood tests and accepting bribes from a nursery investor, according to the BBC.
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