A shocking incident at a kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, highlights severe flaws in food safety regulations as children suffer from lead poisoning.
Disturbing Food Safety Scandal in China: 233 Children Poisoned

Disturbing Food Safety Scandal in China: 233 Children Poisoned
233 children in north-west China are hospitalized after school chefs used toxic paint to decorate food served at a kindergarten.
In a distressing case that has raised alarms about food safety standards in China, 233 children from Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui City were treated for lead poisoning. The cause of this health crisis was attributed to chefs utilizing inedible paint to decorate food items. Eight individuals, including the school's principal and several kitchen staff members, have been arrested after tests indicated that food samples contained lead levels shockingly exceeding national safety limits by over 2,000 times.
Among the contaminated items were steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns, which were found to have alarming lead concentrations of 1052 mg/kg and 1340 mg/kg, far above the national food safety threshold of 0.5 mg/kg. A police investigation revealed that the school's principal had directed kitchen staff to purchase the paint online, despite it being clearly labeled as non-edible.
Parents are now expressing deep concern regarding the long-term health implications of lead exposure on their children, with one father reporting that his son required ten days of medical treatment after experiencing stomach pain and appetite loss.
Surveillance footage from the kindergarten's kitchen showed staff recklessly adding the pigment to the food, further underlining the severity of this negligence. Since March, numerous parents have noticed their children suffering from various ailments, ultimately prompting them to report their concerns to local authorities.
In light of this appalling incident, Tianshui's mayor, Liu Lijiang, acknowledged the gaps in food safety oversight and promised to implement corrective measures to prevent future occurrences.