Thai Police Detain multiple individuals following lead paint tainting school lunches at a Kindergarten
In a shocking turn of events, six individuals, including the principal, cook, and a financial backer of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, have been arrested for deliberately serving toxic food to the children, leading to one of the most severe food safety scandals in recent memory.
The incident, which has left over 230 children suffering from acute lead poisoning, has drawn parallels to the 2008 tainted milk scandal, underscoring persistent gaps in public health safeguards.
The poisoning was caused by consuming school meals contaminated with industrial-grade lead paint powder. Dishes like multicolored red date cakes and sausage corn buns were found to contain lead levels thousands of times above safe limits, with one pigment recorded with lead levels up to 400,000 times the legal safety threshold.
The children exhibited symptoms including nausea, stomach pain, and tooth discoloration due to lead poisoning. The incident has reignited national concern over systemic vulnerabilities, prompting calls for swift action and systemic reform to rebuild confidence and ensure no child is endangered again.
The event exposed systemic negligence, including improper sampling by the provincial CDC, allegedly altered children's blood test results by Tianshui Second People's Hospital, and the local education bureau's failure to inspect unlicensed private kindergartens and suspected bribes from school investors.
The Gansu provincial government has officially apologised for the incident and has launched anti-corruption investigations. New food safety guidelines have been introduced for schools, and disciplinary investigations are targeting 27 others within the kindergarten, local hospital, disease control agency, and education bureau over failures in inspection, oversight, and possible cover-up.
Critics call for structural reform, including whistleblower protections and independent oversight, to prevent future tragedies. Angry parents staged protests outside the kindergarten, clashing with police, demanding accountability and justice.
Lead exposure, even at low levels, can affect the brain and central nervous system in young children, according to the World Health Organization. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of stringent food safety measures and public health safeguards in schools.
It is essential to note that there is no corroborated information available in the current search results regarding a 2021 industrial paint poisoning incident at Heshi Peixin Kindergarten or any other facility in Tianshui. The available information focuses on a similar 2025 incident involving lead poisoning of children at a kindergarten in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, unrelated to Tianshui or the year 2021.
Despite the challenges ahead, the hope remains that this incident will mark a turning point in China's approach to food safety and public health, ensuring a safer future for its children.
- The shocking food safety scandal at Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, China, has been linked to the 2008 tainted milk scandal, highlighting ongoing concerns about public health safeguards.
- The toxic food served to the children resulted in over 230 cases of acute lead poisoning, with symptoms like nausea, stomach pain, and tooth discoloration.
- The contamination was traced to school meals containing industrial-grade lead paint powder, even in dishes like multicolored red date cakes and sausage corn buns.
- The incident has prompted calls for systemic reform and investigations into systemic negligence, including improper sampling, allegedly altered test results, and the local education bureau's failure to inspect unlicensed private kindergartens.
- The Gansu provincial government has launched anti-corruption investigations and introduced new food safety guidelines for schools. However, there is no confirmed information about a 2021 paint poisoning incident at Heshi Peixin Kindergarten or any similar incident in Tianshui.
- Despite the challenges, there is optimism that this incident will lead to significant improvements in China's food safety and public health measures, ensuring a safer future for its children.
