China’s Lead Poisoning Scandal: Parents Demand Justice for Poisoned Children

China Impact on Health: 247 children and employees had high levels of lead; many were admitted to the hospital.

New Delhi,22 July 25

More than 230 kindergarteners in Gansu province were poisoned after eating food laced with industrial-grade pigment containing toxic lead, in one of the most upsetting food safety scandals in recent Chinese history. Earlier this month, a startling occurrence at Tianshui city’s Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten sparked widespread indignation and a rush of disciplinary measures.

Authorities have arrested six staff members, including the principal, and launched disciplinary probes against 27 others. According to an investigative report by the Gansu provincial party committee, the scandal was a result of serious negligence, misconduct, and cover-ups by individuals across multiple layers of oversight—from school administrators to public health and education officials.

The probe revealed that the kindergarten’s principal instructed kitchen staff to make meals appear more visually appealing to attract more enrolments. Instead of using safe food-grade dyes, the kitchen opted for industrial-grade colourants purchased online, despite the packaging being clearly marked “not for consumption.” One of these pigments was found to contain lead levels 400,000 times higher than the legal limit.

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Disturbing images posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed unnaturally bright food served to children. CCTV footage showed kitchen staff mixing the pigment directly into the food. As a result, at least 247 children and several staff members, including the principal, were found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Numerous children who were impacted experienced symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and even discolored teeth. Although most have now been discharged from the hospital, the emotional and health impact remains significant.

The scandal has exposed massive failures in regulation and monitoring. The kindergarten had been operating without a valid license, and no food safety inspections had been conducted in local private kindergartens for over two years. The Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control was also accused of mishandling testing procedures and downplaying the extent of contamination. The provincial government has issued a public apology, expressing deep sorrow to the affected families, as investigations and accountability measures continue.

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