The owner of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, Li Huifang, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit personal assets worth about 500,000 yuan ($107,000), according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The kindergarten's executive principal, Zhu Jinglin, received 15 years in prison and a 300,000 yuan ($65,000) fine. Four kitchen workers were jailed for six to eight years.
The court found that Li and Zhu had instructed the kitchen staff to add toxic, harmful substances to food served to young children and employees. The substances included inedible, lead-containing pigments added for visual appeal, according to media reports.
The poisoning came to light in July 2025, when about 247 students and more than 20 staff members were found to have abnormally high blood lead levels. Lead exposure can damage a child's brain and nervous system, and high levels are especially dangerous for young children.
The sentencing came a day after the World Health Organization urged countries to do more to prevent lead exposure, which it described as "one of the world's most serious yet overlooked environmental health threats." Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO's environment department, said exposure could occur through paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices, and industrial contamination. The WHO noted that hundreds of millions of children are affected by lead exposure internationally.