By John Q. Hosedrinker 
In Tianshui City, Gansu province, 233 children at Peixin Kindergarten suffered lead poisoning after consuming food decorated with inedible paint. Tests revealed that the steamed red date cake and sausage corn rolls contained lead levels far exceeding national safety standards. The school principal and seven others have been arrested and are under investigation for producing toxic food. Authorities are looking into how long the paint had been used, as children have reported symptoms like stomach and leg pain since March. The mayor acknowledged the incident exposed shortcomings in public food safety supervision.
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More than 200 children are being treated in hospital with lead poisoning in north-west China after school chefs used inedible paint to decorate their food. The sheer scale of this incident is staggering, with over two hundred young children hospitalized due to lead poisoning. The story unfolds from a kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, where the unthinkable happened: school chefs were using paint, clearly labeled as inedible, to enhance the appearance of the children’s food.
The severity of the situation is highlighted by the test results. Food samples taken from the kindergarten revealed lead levels a horrifying 2,000 times over the national safety limit. The consequences were dire; a total of 233 children from Peixin Kindergarten showed high levels of lead in their bloodstreams after consuming steamed red date cake and sausage corn buns. The implications are profound, with lasting effects on the children’s health.
The shocking element of this case is the deliberate nature of the act. According to a police statement, the school principal instructed the kitchen staff to purchase the paint online. The investigation revealed that the paint had been hidden after the children began falling ill. The use of paint, even in small amounts, represents an unacceptable level of negligence and disregard for the children’s wellbeing. It just doesn’t make sense, and the question remains, why paint food in the first place?
The scale of the contamination is disturbing. The red date cake and corn sausage rolls, both popular items, were found to contain lead levels far exceeding safety standards. Specifically, the red date cake measured 1052mg/kg and the corn sausage rolls 1340mg/kg, both dramatically surpassing the national limit of 0.5mg/kg. It underscores a systemic failure to adhere to even the most basic safety protocols.
The legal repercussions are severe. The principal of the privately-run kindergarten, along with seven others, including the main investor, are now under investigation for producing toxic and harmful food. This is no small matter. The potential punishments in China for such offenses can be severe, including the possibility of the death penalty, which reflects the gravity of the crime and the devastating impact it has on the victims.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, children had been complaining of health issues since March. Some parents reported their children suffering from stomach and leg pains, and a loss of appetite. This suggests that the poisoning may have been ongoing for several months before the authorities were alerted and an investigation was launched. This extended period of exposure magnifies the risk of severe long-term health complications.
The potential for long-term health issues is a major concern. One parent expressed fears about the lasting effects of lead poisoning on their child’s liver and digestive system. But it goes beyond that. Lead poisoning can cause severe irreversible brain damage. The impact on the children’s cognitive development, their behavior, and their overall quality of life is a grave concern.
The use of lead-based paint to make food look more appealing is an incomprehensible decision. The motives behind this action are not entirely clear, but the potential reasons range from negligence and a lack of understanding of the dangers of lead to a deliberate act of malice. Some speculate whether this was driven by cost-cutting measures or a complete disregard for the children’s health. Either way, it’s a catastrophic lapse in judgment.
The details about the paint itself raise further questions. How was the paint incorporated into the food? The fact that it was clearly labeled as inedible suggests a complete disregard for safety protocols. Reports of similar cases elsewhere, such as the use of white lead paint in rice noodles, point to a pattern of practices that prioritize aesthetics or cost-cutting over the safety of consumers.
While there is no excuse for such behavior, the incident highlights the crucial role of food safety regulations and their enforcement. The mayor of Tianshui acknowledged the shortcomings and loopholes in the city’s food safety supervision, underscoring the need for stricter monitoring and better training of staff. The incident is a stark reminder that the safety of children must be the top priority. The use of lead paint in food is absolutely unacceptable and demonstrates a complete failure of common sense. The parents who spoke to the BBC must feel like this is the worst nightmare come to life.