Summary
More than 200 children were hospitalized with lead poisoning in Tianshui City, China, after school chefs used inedible paint to decorate food at a kindergarten. Eight people, including the school principal, were arrested for their involvement in the incident, and investigations revealed dangerous levels of lead in the food.
Key Facts
- Over 200 children in Tianshui City suffered lead poisoning after eating food decorated with inedible paint.
- The paint used had lead levels 2,000 times higher than the national safety limit.
- 233 children from Peixin Kindergarten had high lead levels in their blood.
- The food items involved were steamed red date cake and sausage corn bun.
- The school principal instructed kitchen staff to buy the paint online, which was marked as inedible.
- Surveillance footage showed staff adding paint to the food.
- Lead levels in the food greatly exceeded the safety standard, which is 0.5mg/kg.
- Eight people, including the kindergarten principal and main investor, are under investigation for producing harmful food.
