PUBLISHED ONOctober 18, 2026 10:30 PMBYSean LerA kindergarten operator in China has been sentenced to life in prison after more than 200 children were found to have been poisoned by lead in their food.
Chinese state media reported that Li Huifang, who operated the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Gangsu, was handed the sentence by the Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court for making or selling harmful foodstuffs.
A July 2025 probe into the incident found that the kindergarten's chefs had added an inedible paint to the food to "enhance the look" of meals, so that more students would consume them.
Food samples, such as red date cake and corn sausage rolls were found to contain lead about 2,000 times in excess of China's national food safety limit.
Li was also fined 500,000 yuan (S$95,000), while the school's principal Zhi Jinglin was sentenced to 15 years' jail and fined 300,000 yuan.
Meanwhile, four other staff members who worked in the kitchen were sentenced to between six and eight years in jail.
According to the World Health Organisation, lead poisoning is particularly harmful to young children and can severely damage their brains and central nervous systems.
[[nid:496373]]
