Nursery chief sentenced to life after lead-tainted meals sickened over 200 children in China
A nursery owner in northwest China received a life term after food contaminated with lead caused illness in more than 200 children and staff.
Li Huifang, the operator of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, was handed a life sentence after a lead poisoning outbreak affected 247 children and staff. The Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court also sentenced principal Zhu Jinglin to 15 years and four kitchen workers to between six and eight years. Police discovered that staff used non-food-grade paint to improve the appearance of meals, leading to lead concentrations of over 1,000 milligrams per kilogram in cakes, sausages and buns, well beyond China’s 0.5-mg/kg limit.
Li was ordered to forfeit 500,000 yuan in personal assets. The case revealed attempts by officials and hospital personnel to conceal the extent of the poisoning by tampering with blood test results.
Why it matters
The case highlights severe food-safety failures and the health risks of lead exposure to children.
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