A nursery owner and five staff members in Gansu province have been handed prison sentences following an incident that left more than 200 children suffering from lead poisoning. Li Huifang, who managed the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten located in Tianshui, received a life sentence for manufacturing and marketing toxic food products, as reported by state media outlets.
The health crisis came to light in July when 247 pupils and staff members at the facility displayed unusually elevated blood lead levels after multiple children fell sick. Subsequent official inquiries revealed that kitchen staff used industrial, inedible paint to improve the visual appeal of nursery meals and attract prospective students, ignoring clear warning labels on the containers.
The Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court directed the seizure of 500,000 yuan in personal assets belonging to the owner. Meanwhile, the nursery's executive principal, Zhi Jinglin, received a 15-year prison term along with a 300,000 yuan fine, while four kitchen workers were given prison sentences ranging from six to eight years.
Judicial proceedings established that the four staff members acted under instructions from Li and Zhi when incorporating the harmful substances into meals. Laboratory analysis of food samples later revealed lead concentrations exceeding national safety limits by a factor of 2,000.
The investigation originally commenced after over 200 youngsters at the establishment required medical intervention for lead toxicity following consumption of items like steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns. Testing indicated that these food items contained lead levels towering above permissible standards.
Health authorities note that lead poisoning presents extreme dangers to pediatric populations, causing significant harm to the central nervous system and brain development. In the wake of the scandal, authorities discovered that numerous local officials and medical personnel attempted to conceal the wrongdoing by manipulating blood test results and accepting bribes from a nursery investor.
In response to the crisis, China introduced updated national directives regarding campus food services. The new regulations mandate that every fresh batch of food undergo testing, and require essential ingredients such as flour, rice, and cooking oil to be sourced strictly through centralized procurement channels.