Arrests made after hundreds of children get sick from lead found in food at a Chinese kindergarten

A Chinese national flag flutters in the wind in between a high-rise residential and office complex in Beijing, China, on Monday, May 19, 2014. (AP / Andy Wong)

Chinese authorities have arrested eight people after more than 200 children who fell ill in the northwestern province of Gansu were found to have abnormally high levels of lead in their blood, the country’s state broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

The children attended a privately owned kindergarten in Gansu’s Tianshui, which was set up in 2022, and had 251 children enrolled, the broadcaster, CCTV, said. Investigations had found lead in food served to students, it said.

Online media outlets Jimu and The Cover, citing parents, said students’ symptoms included stomach and leg pain, loss of appetite and hair loss.

CCTV said authorities were still investigating the kindergarten’s staff, including its principal and legal representative.

Reuters was not able to establish contact details for the school or verify the information independently.

Food safety has improved in China following a series of scandals, including the 2008 discovery of toxic infant milk, which undermined public trust and consumer confidence.

Inspections by regulators in 2022 found safety issues were more common in the catering industry and agricultural products, according to state media reports.

CCTV said investigators tested 223 samples of food from the school. They found two samples - a red date cake and a corn sausage roll - had lead content of 1052 mg/kg and 1340 mg/kg respectively, far above the official limit of 0.5 mg/kg, it said.

The report said investigators traced the lead to paint whose packaging had clearly marked it as inedible.

So far, 201 children have been admitted to hospital and all families are receiving free medical treatment, the broadcaster said, citing local authorities.

“The incident has caused physical and mental harm to the children and parents of Peixin kindergarten, and we are very sad. We will learn profound lessons,” the broadcaster said, citing local authorities.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom)