Nursery owner in China jailed for life after hundreds of children poisoned

A nursery owner in Gansu, China, has been jailed for life after a court found that food served at her kindergarten was deliberately contaminated with lead. The case involved more than 200 children and staff with abnormally high blood lead levels, and raised concerns about the safety of school meals and attempts to conceal the poisoning.

The court said nursery owner Li Huifang directed kitchen staff to use toxic ingredients, including inedible paint, to make meals more appealing. Food samples contained lead at up to 2,680 times China’s national safety limit of 0.5mg/kg; Li was also ordered to forfeit 500,000 yuan, while five staff received prison sentences ranging from six to 15 years. Authorities later introduced stricter campus meal rules, including testing each new food batch.