233 children poisoned by inedible paint used in school meals in China
A shocking food safety scandal has emerged in northwest China, where 233 children from a kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, were found to have lead poisoning after eating meals decorated with inedible paint.
Local authorities say the paint, used to color foods like steamed red date cakes and corn sausage buns, contained lead levels up to 2,000 times higher than national safety limits, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Eight people, including the principal and a main investor of the privately-run Peixin Kindergarten, have been arrested.
Police said the school principal ordered kitchen staff to purchase the pigment online, despite clear warnings on the packaging that it was not safe for consumption. After the children began falling ill, the paint supplies were hidden but later recovered by investigators.
One parent told the BBC that his son is now undergoing a 10-day treatment for lead poisoning. “We’re extremely worried about long-term damage,” he said.
Footage aired by state media allegedly shows kitchen workers adding pigment to food. Tests revealed lead levels of over 1,000 mg/kg in the contaminated items, vastly exceeding China’s legal limit of 0.5 mg/kg.
Several parents said children had complained of stomach aches, leg pain, and loss of appetite since March. The city mayor admitted the incident highlights serious flaws in local food safety oversight and promised reforms.
An investigation is ongoing.
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