China Kindergarten Owner Jailed for Life Over Lead Poisoning of 247 Children

A court in northwest China has sentenced the operator of a kindergarten to life in prison after staff served tainted food that caused lead poisoning in 247 children — one of the harshest verdicts ever handed down in a China kindergarten lead poisoning case.

The Intermediate People’s Court of Lanzhou City in Gansu Province delivered its first-instance verdict on Friday, convicting six people of producing and selling toxic and harmful food at the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in the city of Tianshui, according to Xinhua.

How the China kindergarten lead poisoning case unfolded

The court found that Li Huifang and Zhu Jinglin, as the kindergarten’s administrators, instructed four kitchen workers to add toxic, harmful non-food raw materials to the food served to young children and staff. The court ruled that the circumstances of the crime were especially serious, Chinese media reported.

The poisoning came to light in July 2025, when a provincial investigation found that contaminated pastries had been served to children and staff on a monthly basis since May 2024. Tests showed that 247 of 251 children examined carried abnormally high blood lead levels. All affected children received hospital treatment or nutritional interventions at home; by 20 July 2025 most had completed their first round of treatment and had been discharged, with medical experts reporting an average 40.21 percent reduction in blood lead levels.

Cover-up allegations and wider fallout

The investigation also exposed an alleged cover-up. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that kindergarten managers had bribed local officials to alter the blood test results of the affected children. The scandal triggered disciplinary probes involving 10 local officials, including the provincial health commission director and senior leaders in Tianshui.

The case has intensified scrutiny of food safety in Chinese schools, a sensitive subject since the story first broke in the summer of 2025. Gansu’s provincial government has pledged continued support for the children’s medical care and recovery.

WHO warning on lead exposure

The verdict came a day after the World Health Organization urged countries to do more to prevent lead exposure, which it called one of the world’s most serious yet overlooked environmental health threats. The agency said exposure can occur through paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices and industrial contamination, and that high levels of lead can damage a child’s developing brain and nervous system.

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Sources: Qazinform (citing Xinhua), ABC News Australia (via CCTV) and the BBC.