The key facts

  • Kindergarten principal Pei Xinhe of Tianshui sentenced to life imprisonment, executive director — to 15 years
  • Four kitchen workers received from 6 to 8 years
  • 247 of 251 tested children had abnormally high blood lead levels

Lanzhou Court Verdict

The Intermediate People's Court of the city of Lanzhou in Gansu province on Friday sentenced six people to prison terms for serving toxic and harmful food. The case concerns an incident at a kindergarten in northwestern China, where in 2025 abnormally high blood lead levels were detected in 247 preschoolers. This was reported by the state agency Xinhua.

Roles and Punishments

Kindergarten principal Li Huifang received life imprisonment, as well as lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of personal property worth 500,000 yuan (about 74,000 dollars). According to the investigation, Li and the executive director of the Peixinhe kindergarten in the Maiji district, Zhu Jinglin, instructed and organized the addition of toxic substances to food for children and staff in order to make it brighter and more attractive for marketing purposes. Zhu was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen workers who carried out the instructions received sentences of 6 to 8 years and were also fined.

Scale of the Poisoning

According to the provincial investigation report published in July 2025, contaminated baked goods were served to children and staff monthly starting from May 2024. Of the 251 children tested, 247 were found to have abnormally high blood lead levels. All affected children received treatment in hospital or dietary intervention at home; as of July 20, 2025, the majority had completed the first course of treatment and were discharged.