Li Huifang, who ran the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu, was handed a life term by the Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court in 2026 after investigators found that more than 200 children and staff had blood lead levels far beyond the national safety limit—an alarming indicator of systemic negligence.
The investigation traced the contamination back to kitchen staff who mixed paint labeled as non-edible into meals to make them more colorful, a tactic purportedly aimed at attracting more parents.
Food samples from the nursery were a nightmare for food safety experts: steamed red date cakes contained 1,052 milligrams of lead per kilogram, while sausage and corn buns had 1,340 milligrams per kilogram, both starkly exceeding the 0.5‑milligram threshold.
Li’s executive principal, Zhi Jinglin, received a 15‑year sentence and a 300,000‑yuan fine, while four kitchen staff members were sentenced between six and eight years, a punishment that underscores the court’s stance on collective responsibility.
A CCTV‑reported probe uncovered attempts by provincial officials to tamper with blood test results and accept bribes from a nursery investor, raising serious questions about local oversight and corruption.
The Ministry of Education has responded by issuing new guidelines for meals in educational institutions, mandating testing of every new batch and central procurement of staples—rollout scheduled for next month.