According to the report, the poisoning occurred at Peixin Kindergarten, where chefs used inedible paint to make food more visually appealing in a bid to attract more students. The food was later found to contain lead levels up to 2,000 times the national safety limit. The snacks in question included steamed red date cakes and sausage corn buns.
Authorities reported that 235 children were hospitalised for lead poisoning symptoms. As of Sunday, 234 of them had been discharged. The report noted serious lapses in the initial response, particularly from the Gansu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Tianshui No. 2 People's Hospital. Officials conducting blood tests failed to follow proper procedures, distorting results and delaying effective treatment.
Bribery, Negligence, and Arrests Follow Outrage
The investigation also revealed that city officials accepted bribes from a Peixin investor and neglected food safety inspections at other kindergartens. Eight individuals involved in producing the toxic food were initially detained, and six—among them the kindergarten's principal, cooks, and an investor—have been formally arrested.
In total, ten officials will undergo formal accountability reviews, while another 17 face disciplinary investigations. The report named individuals under scrutiny and provided detailed food test results, highlighting the scale of the negligence.
Online, public reaction was mixed. Some praised the central government's quick response and transparency, while others demanded harsher punishment for those responsible. In contrast to local failures, the report credited the central government for swiftly assembling an expert panel to assess and address the problem.
New Food Safety Guidelines Issued Nationwide
In response to the incident, national authorities have introduced new food safety guidelines for educational institutions. Effective immediately, schools must test every new batch of food and purchase staples like rice, flour, and cooking oil from centralised procurement centres.
Local officials in Tianshui have also promised free treatment for children affected by the poisoning and legal aid for their families. Management of Peixin Kindergarten has been temporarily handed over to a state-owned institution.
The incident has sparked widespread concern over food safety and government oversight in China's private education sector, as families and citizens call for stricter enforcement and lasting reform.
