China kindergarten poisoning: Investigation finds cover-up as six arrested
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
China: Over 230 kindergarten children poisoned by lead paint
Over 230 kindergarten children in China were poisoned after consuming food colored with industrial-grade lead paint. The principal of Tianshui kindergarten allegedly wanted to make the food more appealing to attract more students. Six kindergarten staff members, including the principal, were arrested for knowingly serving toxic food. Disciplinary investigations have also been initiated against 27 other people associated with the school, hospital, and government.
Legal action Six kindergarten staff members arrested Initial reports indicated 235 students were hospitalized with symptoms like stomach pain and nausea. Further tests revealed 247 students and staff had elevated lead levels in their blood. In response to this grave incident, six kindergarten staff members, including the principal, were arrested for knowingly serving toxic food. Disciplinary investigations have also been initiated against 27 other people associated with the school, hospital, and government.
Systemic failures Attempts to cover up the incident An investigative report by the Gansu provincial party committee revealed a series of failures in safety and oversight. The report highlighted attempts to cover up the incident, bribe officials, and modify test results. It also accused the Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of mishandling samples, leading to inaccurate test results.
Cover-up Report accused local education bureau of negligence The report also accused Tianshui Second People’s Hospital of illegally modifying test results to show lower lead levels. It claimed that the local education bureau had ignored licensing issues at the kindergarten and had failed to conduct food safety inspections for two years. China’s top anti-corruption authorities have since opened investigations into government officials and senior management at the hospital.
Arrests in China after more than 230 kindergarten children poisoned by lead paint in food
More than 230 children were poisoned by food coloured with industrial-grade lead paint. Incident is one of China’s worst school food safety incidents and has drawn national attention. Six kindergarten staff, including the principal, have been arrested, accused of knowingly serving toxic and harmful food. Disciplinary investigations have been launched into the actions of 27 others working for the school, hospital and government. Report found a litany of failures in safety and oversight, as well as attempts to cover up the incident, bribe people in charge and modify test results. Footage shared online by Teacher Li, who monitors dissent inside China, claimed to show clashes between police and a few hundred people outside the Tianshui kindergarten. The report said the school had previously bought food-safe colouring, at a cheaper cost, but preferred the “brighter” colours. One pigment was found to have lead levels 400,000 times the safe legal limit.
The incident, which occurred in Gansu province earlier this month, is one of China’s worst school food safety incidents and has drawn national attention. An investigative report released by the Gansu provincial party committee on Sunday found a litany of failures in safety and oversight, as well as attempts to cover up the incident, bribe people in charge and modify test results.
The report said the principal at the Tianshui kindergarten had wanted to attract more enrolments by “enhancing” the colour and look of the food served to children. The school’s cook bought industrial-grade pigment online, adding it to dishes despite the packages saying it was “not for consumption”.
A Weibo screengrab of brightly coloured kindergarten food that had lead paint colourants added to it by kitchen staff. Photograph: weibo
One pigment was found to have lead levels 400,000 times the safe legal limit. The report said the school had previously bought food-safe colouring, at a cheaper cost, but preferred the “brighter” colours.
Initially, 235 students were hospitalised after eating the coloured food. Local state media quoted a parent at the time saying children had suffered stomach pain and nausea, and some children’s teeth had turned black. Final tests revealed that 247 students, as well as staff including the principal, had elevated lead levels in their blood as a result of eating the food.
Six kindergarten staff, including the principal, have been arrested, accused of knowingly serving toxic and harmful food. Disciplinary investigations have been launched into the actions of 27 others working for the school, hospital and government.
However, Sunday’s report revealed mistakes and mishandling at almost every level of the process and response.
View image in fullscreen CCTV of kitchen staff adding colourant into flour. Photograph: weibo
It said the Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention neglected the case after accepting it, and took samples in a way that violated health regulations and led to a “huge difference” in the test results and the actual levels.
At the Tianshui Second People’s hospital, at least two children’s test results were illegally “modified” to record substantially lower lead levels, the report said.
“The management of Tianshui Second People’s hospital and its laboratory department was chaotic, job responsibilities were not fully implemented, laboratory quality control was not fully implemented and relevant inspection personnel lacked systematic training,” the report said.
It also accused the local education bureau of having “turned a blind eye” to the kindergarten – which charges high fees – operating without a proper licence, and not conducting food safety inspections at any private kindergarten for two years. It said officials in charge of preschool education across multiple departments were suspected of accepting benefits and bribes from the Tianshui kindergarten’s major investor and others linked to the school.
The report said China’s top anti-corruption authorities had filed a case for review and investigation against government officials of multiple levels, and opened an investigation into senior management at the hospital.
It said the children had been treated and all but one had been discharged after the first round of treatment, during which lead levels dropped by an average of 40%.
“The provincial party committee and the provincial government are deeply saddened by the abnormal blood lead problem in the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji district, Tianshui city, and express their deep apologies to the children and their parents,” the report said.
The release of the report was accompanied by reported protests by parents on Sunday evening outside the kindergarten. Footage shared online by Teacher Li, who monitors dissent inside China, claimed to show clashes between police and a few hundred people outside the Tianshui kindergarten.
The footage showed officers using physical force, including batons, and angry parents confronting individuals in plain clothes, questioning their use of violence. As police cars appeared to try to escort the plain-clothed individuals away, parents blocked the road, shouting: “Hand over those who beat people up.”
Additional research by Lillian Yang
Six arrested, dozens investigated over use of toxic paint to brighten food in China kindergarten
Six arrested, dozens investigated over use of toxic paint to brighten food in China kindergarten. More than 230 children at a kindergarten in Gansu province were poisoned by food coloured with industrial-grade lead paint. An official investigation released on Sunday found severe failures in oversight, food safety, and attempts to cover up the incident. One pigment used in the food contained lead levels that exceeded legal limits by 400,000 times.
BEIJING, July 22 — Chinese authorities have arrested six people and are investigating 27 others after more than 230 children at a kindergarten in Gansu province were poisoned by food coloured with industrial-grade lead paint.
An official investigation released on Sunday found severe failures in oversight, food safety, and attempts to cover up the incident, including bribery and falsification of test results, The Guardian reported.
The principal of Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui allegedly sought to attract more enrolments by making food look more appealing using non-edible pigment bought online.
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Despite clear warnings that the pigment was “not for consumption,” the school’s cook added it to children’s meals, preferring its “brighter” hues to safer, cheaper food-grade alternatives.
One pigment used in the food contained lead levels that exceeded legal limits by 400,000 times, according to the Gansu provincial party committee report.
Initially, 235 children were hospitalised after consuming the tainted food, showing symptoms including nausea, stomach pain, and discoloured teeth, with later tests confirming 247 people had elevated blood lead levels.
Six kindergarten staff, including the principal, now face criminal charges for knowingly serving toxic food, while 27 others from the school, hospital and government are under disciplinary review.
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The report also revealed that the Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control mishandled the case and conducted tests improperly, leading to results that did not reflect actual exposure.
At least two test results at Tianshui Second People’s Hospital were deliberately altered to show falsely low lead levels, while the hospital was described as poorly managed and lacking proper training.
Parents reportedly protested outside the kindergarten on Sunday night, clashing with police and demanding accountability, as authorities promised further investigations into corruption, misconduct, and regulatory failures at every level.
Poison, lies and coverup: Six arrested after rare probe report into lead poisoning in Chinese preschool
Pigments containing high levels of lead were added to food to make it look more beautiful. The colouring agents were painted on buns and cakes to boost the school’s appeal. The poisoning affected more than 250 kindergarteners, with some having lead levels in blood that were 2,000 times the legal limit. 247 of 251 children and 28 out of 34 staff at the school tested positive for elevated lead levels. Six people have been arrested, including the principal, cooks, and the school investor, and 17 others, including top health and education officials, are under criminal investigation. Video of the incident has also been removed from online platforms.
Tainted buns, sick children: What happened at Chinese kindergarten?
It was supposed to have been a food decoration at an event this summer at Peixin Kindergarten in China’s Gansu Province. School staff added industrial pigment containing high levels of lead to food to make it look more beautiful. The pigments were bought from a nearby shop and were marked ‘inedible’. The colouring agents were painted on buns and cakes to boost the school’s appeal. Chefs dyed the buns bright yellow and cakes in shades of pink and teal.
The school management ‘instructed staff to add brightly coloured but inedible industrial pigments to foods such as corn rolls and jujube cakes,’ the probe report said.
Eventually, the poisoning affected more than 250 kindergarteners, with some having lead levels in blood that were 2,000 times the legal limit.
A red date sponge cake, for instance, had 1,052mg of lead per kg, and a corn roll had 1,340mg, while the legal limit is 0.5mg.
In total, 247 of 251 children and 28 out of 34 staff at the school tested positive for elevated lead levels. Even five kids who had already graduated were affected.
How local hospitals covered up China lead poisoning of kids
Local hospital staff tried to evade responsibility and obstructed the investigation in various ways, according to the probe report.
One child had high lead levels on six separate tests, but no alarm was ever raised, it alleged.
Tianshui No 2 People’s Hospital altered blood test results, cutting one child’s lead reading by seven times, while the Gansu CDC bungled or sabotaged testing by shaking blood samples and letting them sit too long, skewing the results, the probe found.
China lead poisoning investigation: The kindergarten was operating without a license
It also emerged that the Peixin Kindergarten was operating without a license, and the local education bureau did nothing about it.
The probe found that officials even accepted gifts and bribes from a school investor.
Arrests, apologies and anger: China lead poisoning aftermath
Authorities have arrested six people, including the principal, cooks, and the school investor, and 17 others, including top health and education officials, are under criminal investigation.
Ten more people, including the head of the provincial health commission, and the mayor of Tianshui, face formal accountability.
Treatment costs are being covered by the government, which apologised, even as 234 children have been treated and discharged.
Lead poisoning incident videos are being removed
Amid national outrage and protests outside the school, it has also emerged that videos of the gathernings were removed from online platforms.
Several parents took their children outside the province for tests.