Chinese Kindergarten Distributed Photos to Boost Enrollment Competition
Principal Also Suffers from Lead Poisoning After Consuming Contaminated Food
Recently, at Hespeshin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu Province, northwestern China, a mass lead poisoning incident occurred involving over 200 students. It has been revealed that the kindergarten principal instructed the cooks to add industrial pigments to the food in order to intensify competition for student enrollment.
On July 20, People's Daily reported that cook He purchased yellow (1,200g), red (1,000g), and green pigments (900g) from a Chinese online shopping mall in April last year and February this year.
A mass lead poisoning incident involving kindergarten students in China has occurred, and it has been revealed that the principal's directive aimed at recruiting students was the cause. Pengpai News
Cooks Niu and Yuan, despite clear labels on the pigment packaging stating 'not for consumption,' mixed these pigments into flour to make corn roll sausage bread and tricolor jujube steamed buns, among other foods. According to the report, from May last year until the incident occurred, they served artificially colored foods to kindergarten students and staff an average of six times per month.
Analysis by the Ministry of Public Security’s forensic center detected lead in the pigments, and samples of the kindergarten meals?corn roll sausage bread and tricolor jujube steamed buns?contained 1,340mg/kg and 1,052mg/kg of lead, respectively. These levels far exceed the safety standards.
The investigation found that Principal Zhu gave these instructions to heighten competition for student enrollment. People's Daily reported that the principal planned this to emphasize the color and visual appeal of the food. The principal, with the consent of investor Li and others, instructed the addition of pigments to the food and directed the cooks to photograph the dishes and distribute the images via WeChat (the Chinese equivalent of KakaoTalk) and other platforms.
It was also confirmed that Principal Zhu consumed the contaminated food. His blood test showed a blood lead level of 169.3μg/L. According to Chinese authorities, the normal blood lead concentration for children is 100μg/L or less, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers levels above 50μg/L as lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible damage to the brain and central nervous system, and in children, it may result in cognitive impairment, reduced attention, and stunted growth.
According to the report, the kindergarten had previously used natural fruit and vegetable powders (edible colorants). Although edible colorants are less expensive than industrial pigments, the kindergarten opted for pigments because they produce more vivid colors. Public security authorities have arrested Principal Zhu, investor Li, cooks Wen, He, Niu, and An on charges of producing toxic and harmful food. The police stated that the investigation will continue.
Expert investigators also examined the environmental conditions around Hespeshin Kindergarten. They collected and analyzed samples of air, surface water, groundwater, and soil near the kindergarten, all of which met relevant environmental quality standards, and no lead contamination was detected.
This investigation was led by the main officials of the provincial Party committee and government, with participation from relevant provincial departments such as the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission, Education Bureau, Public Security Bureau, Ecology and Environment Bureau, and Health Commission, as well as experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Health Commission. The State Council Food Safety Office also dispatched a working group to provide guidance and oversight.
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