What began as an attempt to make school meals look more appealing has exploded into one of the worst school food safety scandals in China’s recent history, one that has left over 230 children with toxic lead in their blood, sparked public protests, and revealed a web of bribery, regulatory failure, and deliberate data tampering.
At the centre of the crisis is Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui city, Gansu province, where industrial-grade lead paint was added to children’s food to make it more visually attractive. While the scandal first came to national attention earlier this month on 8 July, new details from a Guardian report have shed light on the scale of the misconduct and the attempted cover-up by hospital and government officials.
A recipe for disaster
According to investigations by Gansu provincial authorities, the kindergarten’s principal sought to attract more enrolments by serving brighter, more colourful meals, believing the visual appeal would impress parents. The school’s cook purchased industrial-grade pigment online, even though the packaging explicitly stated it was “not for consumption.”
A Guardian report cites that one pigment used in the food had lead levels 400,000 times the legal limit. Despite previously using cheaper, food-safe colourants, the staff opted for the more dangerous pigment simply for the brighter results.
Photos and CCTV footage shared on Weibo — China’s version of X — showed vibrant red cakes and videos of staff mixing colourant into flour before serving the food to children.
The impact was swift and horrifying. 235 children were initially hospitalised, many showing symptoms like stomach pain, blackened teeth, and nausea. Final tests revealed that 247 children and staff, including the principal, had elevated lead levels in their blood.
Six people, including the principal and kitchen staff, have been arrested for knowingly serving toxic and harmful food, reported The Guardian. Additionally, 27 officials across the school, healthcare, and local government system are under disciplinary investigation. Some are accused of accepting bribes from the kindergarten’s main investor and helping the school operate without proper licences.
But what has shocked the public even more is the coordinated effort to hide the truth.
Falsified tests, mishandled samples, and bribes
The Guardian reported that the Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grossly mishandled the testing process, collecting samples in violation of health regulations. This led to test results that significantly underestimated the actual lead levels in the children’s blood.
Worse still, Tianshui Second People’s Hospital was found to have illegally altered at least two children’s test results, recording much lower levels of lead than actually present. The report called the hospital’s management “chaotic,” with poor quality control, inadequate staff training, and serious lapses in laboratory oversight.
Authorities say China’s top anti-corruption body is now investigating senior hospital administrators and government officials across multiple departments.
In a rare display of official remorse, the Gansu provincial party committee issued a formal apology, saying: “We are deeply saddened by the abnormal blood lead problem in the Brownstone Peixin Kindergarten… and express our deep apologies to the children and their parents.”
Authorities say all but one child has been discharged after initial treatment, with lead levels dropping by an average of 40 per cent, though long-term consequences remain unclear.
To prevent further public outrage, officials also announced that affected children will receive free medical care, legal support for families will be made available, and the kindergarten will be temporarily managed by a state-run preschool.
Even as the government released its findings, anger spilled into the streets. According to The Guardian, hundreds of parents gathered outside the kindergarten on Sunday evening in protest.
Footage shared by Chinese dissident account “Teacher Li” showed violent clashes between police and angry parents, with officers wielding batons and confronting civilians. As plainclothes individuals tried to flee the scene in police vehicles, the crowd blocked roads and chanted, “Hand over those who beat people up!”
These images spread quickly online, stoking further public outrage — not just at the school, but at a system that allowed such a scandal to unfold.
Bigger questions
This scandal has reignited national concern about food safety regulations, corruption in private education, and the lack of regular inspections for institutions catering to young children. The Guardian reports that the local education bureau had not conducted any food safety checks at private kindergartens in two years, despite the school’s high fees and lack of licensure.
China has seen several food safety crises over the past 15 years, including the melamine-tainted baby formula scandal in 2008, but experts say the deliberate manipulation of test data and official bribery in this case mark a dangerous new low.
The Chinese government has pledged nationwide reforms, including centralised procurement of food staples, stricter testing protocols, and new monitoring systems for school kitchens. But whether these changes will rebuild public trust — especially among parents — remains uncertain.
For now, the parents of Peixin Kindergarten’s students want answers, justice, and above all, accountability.
Principal at school in Gansu province reportedly wanted to attract more enrolments by ‘enhancing’ the colour and look of the food served to children (Representational Image/Reuters) 
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