**Eight arrests made as authorities probe food safety negligence following the alarming incident.**
**Unsafe Food Practices Lead to Mass Lead Poisoning at Chinese Kindergarten**
**Unsafe Food Practices Lead to Mass Lead Poisoning at Chinese Kindergarten**
**233 children hospitalized in Gansu province due to inedible paint used to decorate meals.**
More than 200 children in Tianshui City, Gansu province of northwest China, are undergoing treatment for lead poisoning after school chefs used toxic, inedible paint to color food served at Peixin Kindergarten. Recent tests have revealed that the lead levels in the contaminated food, which included steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns, reached alarming figures—2,000 times above the national safety standard.
In all, 233 children have been affected, with their blood lead levels alarmingly high after consuming the tainted food. Concerned parents raised the issue when their children began exhibiting symptoms like abdominal pain and decreased appetite. One parent, Mr. Liu, shared his fears regarding the potential long-term health impacts on his child, who now requires extensive medical care.
Authorities have arrested the kindergarten's principal and seven other individuals, including the main investor, on suspicion of providing harmful food products. Investigations reveal that the kitchen staff had ordered the inedible paint online, even though it was clearly labeled as unsafe for consumption. Disturbing footage from the kitchen appears to show staff adding this toxic pigment to the children's meals.
With the lead levels found in the red date cake reaching 1052mg/kg and in the corn sausage rolls at 1340mg/kg—far beyond the acceptable limit of 0.5mg/kg—local officials, including Tianshui's mayor Liu Lijiang, have acknowledged significant flaws in the food safety oversight system. In light of these events, they have promised to reassess and rectify these failings to prevent future incidents. Parents continue to express urgency for ensuring the safety of their children's meals as the investigation unfolds.
In all, 233 children have been affected, with their blood lead levels alarmingly high after consuming the tainted food. Concerned parents raised the issue when their children began exhibiting symptoms like abdominal pain and decreased appetite. One parent, Mr. Liu, shared his fears regarding the potential long-term health impacts on his child, who now requires extensive medical care.
Authorities have arrested the kindergarten's principal and seven other individuals, including the main investor, on suspicion of providing harmful food products. Investigations reveal that the kitchen staff had ordered the inedible paint online, even though it was clearly labeled as unsafe for consumption. Disturbing footage from the kitchen appears to show staff adding this toxic pigment to the children's meals.
With the lead levels found in the red date cake reaching 1052mg/kg and in the corn sausage rolls at 1340mg/kg—far beyond the acceptable limit of 0.5mg/kg—local officials, including Tianshui's mayor Liu Lijiang, have acknowledged significant flaws in the food safety oversight system. In light of these events, they have promised to reassess and rectify these failings to prevent future incidents. Parents continue to express urgency for ensuring the safety of their children's meals as the investigation unfolds.
