CHINESE COURT JAILS KINDERGARTEN OPERATOR OVER LEAD POISONING

The Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Li Huifang, operator of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, to life in prison after children and staff consumed food containing harmful substances. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the court also ordered the confiscation of about 500,000 yuan of Li’s personal assets. The court sentenced executive principal Zhu Jinglin to 15 years in prison and imposed a 300,000-yuan fine, according to CCTV. Four kitchen workers received prison terms of six to eight years. The court found that Li and Zhu instructed the workers to add the substances to meals for children and staff.

Tests in July 2025 found abnormally high blood lead levels in more than 200 children and more than 20 staff members. Accounts give the figure of 247 for either pupils alone or pupils and staff combined. Media accounts said the kindergarten used inedible, lead-containing pigments to make the food look more appealing. Investigators measured lead concentrations of 1,052 milligrams per kilogram in red date cake and 1,340 milligrams per kilogram in corn sausage rolls. China’s national food safety limit for those foods stood at 0.5 milligrams per kilogram.

China has since published national guidelines for meals on campuses. The World Health Organisation called on countries to do more to prevent lead exposure the day before the sentencing. “Lead poisoning is one of the world’s most serious yet overlooked environmental health threats,” said Bruce Gordon, head of the organisation’s environment department. The organisation said exposure can occur through paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices and industrial contamination.