Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji district, Tianshui, Northwest China's Gansu Province Photo: CCTV

A Chinese court on Friday sentenced the head of a kindergarten in Northwest China’s Gansu Province to life imprisonment for instructing staff to add toxic and harmful non-food substances to meals served to children and employees, while five other defendants received prison terms ranging from six to 15 years.

The kindergarten’s principal Li Huifang was sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life, and ordered to forfeit 500,000 yuan ($70,000) in personal assets. Zhu Jinglin was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen staff members at the kindergarten – Niu Aiyuan, Wen Yafang, He Xuxia and An Chunling – received prison terms ranging from six to eight years and were also fined.

The court found that Li, the de facto person in charge of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji district, Tianshui, and Zhu, the kindergarten’s executive director, violated national food safety regulations by instructing and arranging for the four kitchen workers to add toxic and harmful non-food substances to food prepared and served to children and staff, causing serious consequences.

Six people were arrested in 2025 after deliberately adding toxic lead-containing pigments to children's food, which poisoned 247 pre-schoolers, a government investigation reported on Sunday, according to the Xinhua News Agency in July 2025.

The kindergarten principal directed the practice to make food appear more colorful and attractive for marketing, Xinhua reported.

The investigation, ordered by Gansu's provincial leadership and involving state environmental and health experts, concluded that cooks at the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten added pigments clearly labeled "inedible" into flour to make corn rolls and date cakes. These pastries have been served to children and staff on a monthly basis since May 2024.

Of the kindergarten's 251 children tested, 247 had abnormal blood lead levels (including 14 additional cases identified during follow-up testing), as well as 28 staff members, per Xinhua.


Global Times