Authorities in China have detained six people and launched a investigation after hundreds of children in a Gansu province kindergarten were poisoned by food contaminated with industrial-grade lead pigment .
The scandal, which unfolded at the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui earlier this month, has triggered national outrage and drawn scrutiny over failures across the education, health, and government sectors.
A provincial report released on Sunday revealed that the school’s principal had deliberately added illegal colouring agents to meals in an effort to make the food look more appealing and attract new admissions. The pigments, purchased online and clearly marked “not for consumption,” were later found to contain dangerously high levels of lead, with one sample testing 400,000 times above the legal limit.
Initial reports said 235 children were hospitalised with symptoms such as vomiting, stomach cramps, and even blackened teeth. Later blood tests showed at least 247 pupils and staff, including the head of the school, had elevated lead levels.
What began as a food safety failure has since snowballed into a broader scandal, with accusations of a deliberate cover-up and widespread official negligence. Investigators said that attempts were made to falsify test results, bribe officials, and silence complaints from parents. The Tianshui Second People’s Hospital, where the children were treated, was found to have altered at least two medical reports to downplay the severity of the lead poisoning. Its laboratory was described as disorganised and lacking proper oversight, as per The Guardian.
China’s Centre for Disease Control in Gansu was also criticised for its mishandling of the case. Investigators said the agency took samples improperly and failed to follow up after receiving early warnings, leading to discrepancies between test results and actual contamination levels.
The report, cited by The Guardian, further accused local education officials of ignoring the fact that the kindergarten was operating without a proper licence. It had reportedly not undergone a food safety inspection for at least two years, despite charging parents high fees. Some officials are suspected of having received bribes from the school’s main investors.
While six staff members from the kindergarten, including the principal and cook, have been formally arrested, disciplinary investigations are now underway against 27 others, including government and hospital employees.
China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has launched a separate probe into senior figures linked to the scandal.
Most children have now been discharged from hospital following treatment, which reportedly helped lower lead levels in their blood by around 40%. In a public statement, the Gansu provincial government apologised to affected families and promised accountability.
On Sunday evening, protests also erupted outside the kindergarten as furious parents demanded justice.
The scandal, which unfolded at the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui earlier this month, has triggered national outrage and drawn scrutiny over failures across the education, health, and government sectors.
A provincial report released on Sunday revealed that the school’s principal had deliberately added illegal colouring agents to meals in an effort to make the food look more appealing and attract new admissions. The pigments, purchased online and clearly marked “not for consumption,” were later found to contain dangerously high levels of lead, with one sample testing 400,000 times above the legal limit.
Initial reports said 235 children were hospitalised with symptoms such as vomiting, stomach cramps, and even blackened teeth. Later blood tests showed at least 247 pupils and staff, including the head of the school, had elevated lead levels.
What began as a food safety failure has since snowballed into a broader scandal, with accusations of a deliberate cover-up and widespread official negligence. Investigators said that attempts were made to falsify test results, bribe officials, and silence complaints from parents. The Tianshui Second People’s Hospital, where the children were treated, was found to have altered at least two medical reports to downplay the severity of the lead poisoning. Its laboratory was described as disorganised and lacking proper oversight, as per The Guardian.
China’s Centre for Disease Control in Gansu was also criticised for its mishandling of the case. Investigators said the agency took samples improperly and failed to follow up after receiving early warnings, leading to discrepancies between test results and actual contamination levels.
The report, cited by The Guardian, further accused local education officials of ignoring the fact that the kindergarten was operating without a proper licence. It had reportedly not undergone a food safety inspection for at least two years, despite charging parents high fees. Some officials are suspected of having received bribes from the school’s main investors.
While six staff members from the kindergarten, including the principal and cook, have been formally arrested, disciplinary investigations are now underway against 27 others, including government and hospital employees.
China’s top anti-corruption watchdog has launched a separate probe into senior figures linked to the scandal.
Most children have now been discharged from hospital following treatment, which reportedly helped lower lead levels in their blood by around 40%. In a public statement, the Gansu provincial government apologised to affected families and promised accountability.
On Sunday evening, protests also erupted outside the kindergarten as furious parents demanded justice.
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