A Chinese kindergarten operator has been sentenced to life in prison for serving tainted food after more than 200 students were found with abnormally high levels of lead in their blood.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Li Huifang, who operated the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in the city of Tianshui in Gansu province, was sentenced to life in prison.
Five hundred thousand yuan (about £56,000) of her personal assets were also ordered to be confiscated, CCTV reported.
At the Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court, Zhu Jinglin, the kindergarten’s executive principal, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with a 300,000 yuan (£33,700) fine, CCTV reported.
Four others who worked in the kindergarten kitchen were sentenced to prison terms of between six and eight years, it said.
The court ruled that Li and Zhu instructed the four kitchen workers to add toxic and harmful substances to food consumed by young children and kindergarten staff.
In July 2025, more than 200 students and over 20 staff members were found to have abnormally high blood lead levels.
High levels of lead exposure can damage a child’s brain and nervous system.
Media reports said that the school added inedible lead-containing pigments to the food for visual appeal.
Symptoms of lead exposure
Swallowing or inhaling lead carries health risks, according to the NHS. Minor amounts of the substance can gradually accumulate over time, leading to medical problems.
Larger amounts over a short period can also be harmful, although this is less common, the NHS says.
Children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies absorb higher amounts of lead than adults. Such exposure can disrupt how children grow and develop.
Adults or children with raised lead levels in their blood can sometimes have no obvious symptoms. When symptoms do occur in young children, they can include:
- irritability or tiredness
- loss of appetite or weight loss
- abdominal (stomach) pain
- vomiting
- constipation
- hearing problems
- developmental delay or learning difficulties.
Symptoms of lead exposure in adults can include memory problems, joint or muscle pain, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, headaches, high blood pressure, and problems with pregnancy (such as miscarriage or premature birth).
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