Authorities have arrested eight people after more than 200 children who fell ill in the northwestern province of Gansu were found to have abnormally high levels of lead in their blood, the country’s state broadcaster reported.
The children attended a privately owned kindergarten in Gansu’s Tianshui, which was set up in 2022, and had 251 children enrolled, broadcaster CCTV said. Investigations had found lead in food served to students.
Online media outlets, citing parents, said students’ symptoms included stomach and leg pain, loss of appetite and hair loss.
CCTV said authorities were still investigating the kindergarten’s staff, including its principal and legal representative.
Food safety has improved in China after a series of scandals, including the 2008 discovery of toxic infant milk, which undermined public trust.
Inspections by regulators in 2022 found safety issues were more common in the catering industry and agricultural products.
CCTV said investigators tested 223 samples of food from the school. They found two samples – a red date cake and a corn sausage roll – had lead content of 1052 mg/kg and 1340 mg/kg respectively, far above the official limit of 0.5 mg/kg, it said.
Investigators traced the lead to paint whose packaging had clearly marked it as inedible.
So far, 201 children have been admitted to hospital and all families are receiving free medical treatment. — Reuters
