China sentences 6 for lead-tainted kindergarten food that sickened over 200 children

A court in China sentenced six individuals for serving lead-tainted food at a kindergarten, after more than 200 children exhibited abnormally high levels of lead in their blood, according to official media reports. Li Huifang, the operator of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city, Gansu province, received a life sentence, while her personal assets were confiscated worth 500,000 yuan ($75,000).

Zhu Jinglin, the kindergarten’s executive principal, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a fine of 300,000 yuan ($44,800). Four other employees in the kindergarten kitchen received prison terms ranging from six to eight years. The court determined that Li and Zhu ordered the four kitchen workers to add harmful substances to the food consumed by young children and staff members.

In July 2025, over 200 students and more than 20 staff members tested with elevated blood lead levels. The school allegedly added inedible lead-containing pigments to the food for visual appeal, with high lead exposure posing severe risks to children’s brain and nervous system development.