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Over 230 children hospitalised with lead poisoning after decorative paint found in school food in China
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Tuesday, 15 July, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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In a shocking incident in north-west China, over 230 young children from a private kindergarten have been hospitalised with lead poisoning after being served food laced with industrial paint. Authorities revealed that kitchen staff at Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, used inedible paint to decorate dishes such as steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns — resulting in a health crisis that has alarmed the nation.
Food safety tests revealed lead levels nearly 2,000 times over the permissible national safety limit. A total of 233 children were diagnosed with high levels of lead in their blood, and several are undergoing intensive treatment and medication at local hospitals.
Police say the decision to use the toxic paint came under the instruction of the school principal, who allegedly directed the kitchen staff to purchase the colouring online. The paint, clearly labelled ‘inedible’, was later hidden by staff members once children began falling ill. Authorities had to conduct a search to recover the materials.
The investigation intensified after several parents noticed persistent symptoms in their children — including stomach pain, leg aches, and appetite loss — since as early as March. One parent, Liu, told the BBC that his son requires at least 10 days of medical treatment and expressed grave concern over possible long-term damage to his child’s liver and digestive system.
CCTV footage aired by Chinese state media appears to show kitchen workers mixing powdered pigment into the food. Investigators found alarmingly high lead concentrations of 1052mg/kg in the red date cake and 1340mg/kg in the sausage buns, far exceeding the legal limit of 0.5mg/kg.
Following public outrage, eight individuals have been arrested, including the school principal and the main investor. They are now under investigation for allegedly producing toxic and harmful food. The local mayor, Liu Lijiang, admitted that the incident has revealed serious flaws in the city's food safety monitoring system, promising a thorough review and stricter oversight in the future.
Source: BBC
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