‘Brighter Meals’ Lead To Mass Poisoning At China Kindergarten, 230 Kids Hospitalised

Last Updated:July 22, 2025, 16:35 IST

Authorities arrested six kindergarten staff and are investigating 27 others after over 230 children in Gansu were poisoned by food contaminated with lead pigment.

Photographs circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed unnaturally bright dishes.

Chinese authorities arrested six kindergarten staff and launched disciplinary investigations into 27 others after more than 230 children in Gansu province were poisoned by food contaminated with industrial-grade lead pigment. The incident, which took place earlier this month at the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city, is being described as one of the worst school food safety scandals in recent Chinese history.

An investigative report released by the Gansu provincial party committee cited widespread failures, misconduct and cover-ups at nearly every level of oversight, from school administrators to public health and government officials.

Toxic Food For Aesthetic Appeal

According to the report, the kindergarten’s principal instructed kitchen staff to enhance the visual appeal of meals by adding brightly coloured pigment to the food with the aim of boosting enrolments. The school cook purchased industrial-grade colourants online despite packaging clearly marked “not for consumption."

One of the pigments was later found to contain lead levels 400,000 times above the legal safety limit. The kindergarten had previously used food-safe dyes but reportedly switched to the more toxic version because it produced more vivid colours.

Photographs circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed unnaturally bright dishes allegedly served to the children. CCTV footage released by investigators also showed kitchen staff mixing the industrial pigment directly into food preparations.

Hundreds Of Children Affected

Initial reports said 235 children were hospitalised after eating the tainted meals, with symptoms including stomach pain, vomiting and in some cases even blackened teeth. Subsequent testing confirmed that 247 children and several staff members- including the principal- had elevated levels of lead in their blood. While most students have since been discharged from hospital, the provincial government said the case caused “deep sorrow" and issued a formal apology to affected families.

Institutional Failure And Cover-Up Revealed

The official report accuses multiple institutions of negligence and misconduct in both the lead-up to and aftermath of the poisoning. The Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was faulted for violating health protocols while collecting samples, resulting in test results that vastly understated the true scale of contamination.

The local education bureau was also heavily criticized for allowing the kindergarten to operate without a valid license. Authorities admitted that no food safety inspections had been conducted at private kindergartens in the area for at least two years.

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News world ‘Brighter Meals’ Lead To Mass Poisoning At China Kindergarten, 230 Kids Hospitalised