Hundreds of children at a private kindergarten in northwestern China have been poisoned by meals laced with industrial lead, prompting arrests, public outrage, and a sweeping investigation into one of the country’s most serious school food safety scandals in recent years.

A joint investigation team in Tianshui, Gansu province, said 233 of 251 children tested at Peixin Kindergarten showed abnormal blood lead levels. The school’s principal and investor have been detained, along with six others, after food samples revealed lead concentrations more than 2,000 times the national safety limit.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, investigators found that kitchen staff at the kindergarten had added brightly colored industrial pigments to meals to enhance their appearance for students.

The pigments — meant for decorative painting, furniture coatings, and handicrafts — were purchased online and clearly labeled as not for consumption. Authorities said the school’s principal, surnamed Zhu, and an investor, surnamed Li, approved the purchases but failed to verify their safety.

Police later seized the remaining pigments and confirmed they contained lead. Meals served at three other kindergartens run by the same owner were also tested but showed no signs of contamination.

Out of 223 food samples collected, two items served at Peixin Kindergarten — a breakfast date cake and a corn sausage roll — were found to contain lead concentrations of 1,052 and 1,340 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. Both levels exceeded China’s legal safety limit of 0.5 mg/kg by more than 2,000 times.

According to China’s health authority, lead poisoning in children can cause abdominal pain, anemia, and hyperactivity. At higher concentrations — above 700 micrograms per liter — exposure may result in seizures, coma, or long-term neurological damage.

The first signs of trouble at Peixin Kindergarten emerged in mid-June, when a parent noticed their child had developed several white hairs and was eating less than usual. Concerned, they took the child to a local hospital in Tianshui for blood tests, which later confirmed elevated lead levels. Similar symptoms — including vomiting and appetite loss — soon appeared in other children at the same school.

On July 1, the Market Supervision Administration and the Public Security Bureau of Maiji District in Tianshui received a report of abnormal blood lead levels in some children. Both departments immediately launched an investigation.

Peixin Kindergarten, a private school established in 2022, charges more than 10,000 yuan ($1,395) per year. One parent told domestic outlet Red Star News they enrolled their child for the bilingual instruction and because the school meals “seemed good.”

Another parent said their daughter had suffered recurring stomachaches and vomiting, symptoms initially blamed on poor digestion. After tests in Tianshui revealed elevated lead levels, the family was unable to access treatment locally and rushed to Xi’an, the provincial capital of neighboring Shaanxi province, where hospital tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Parents said they believed the kindergarten was the source of the poisoning, noting that some had taken multiple children for testing and only those enrolled at Peixin showed elevated blood lead levels. 

Several teachers at the school were also found to have abnormal lead levels, further reinforcing suspicions. They told domestic media that they routinely ate the same meals as the students.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage on Chinese social media since it was first reported earlier this month. “These are young children we’re talking about — how could anyone do this without remorse?” wrote one user on the microblogging platform Weibo.

Others called for deeper reform beyond arrests. “Criminal detention is just the first step. We need immediate action to prevent such tragedies at their source,” another comment read.

In response, a team of more than 10 medical experts from Gansu and Shaanxi provinces has developed a specialized treatment plan for affected children in Tianshui. The team is now overseeing ongoing monitoring and administering chelation therapy, a standard treatment for lead poisoning. 

In addition, two national-level specialists were sent to Xi’an earlier this week to supervise implementation and ensure a steady supply of medication.

Editor: Apurva. 

(Header image: Left: Colored food served at the kindergarten; right: Exterior view of Peixin Kindergarten. From Weibo)