More than 200 children in north-west China have been hospitalized for lead poisoning after school chefs at a kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, used inedible paint to decorate food. Reports indicate that 233 students from Peixin Kindergarten were found to have alarmingly high lead levels in their blood after consuming steamed red date cake and sausage corn buns.

Following the alarming discovery, eight individuals, including the school principal, have been arrested. It is reported that the principal directed kitchen staff to purchase the paint online, which was later found hidden on the premises and marked as unsafe for consumption. Parents were left concerned about lasting health repercussions, particularly regarding their children's liver and digestive systems.

One parent, Mr. Liu, took his son to a hospital in Xi'an for testing after getting wind of the situation from other worried parents. His son now requires a ten-day treatment regimen.

Footage obtained by Chinese state media from local CCTV cameras allegedly shows kitchen staff incorporating paint pigment into the food. Investigators reported lead levels in the baked goods far exceeding the national safety limit, with the red date cake and corn sausage rolls showing shocking levels of 1052 mg/kg and 1340 mg/kg, respectively.

Authorities indicated that the principal and the main investor of the kindergarten will face scrutiny for their involvement in the incident, which officials believe points to serious lapses in food safety oversight. Since March, numerous parents had observed their children suffering from stomach pain, leg pain, and loss of appetite, prompting them to contact local authorities which has now led to an official inquiry. Tianshui's mayor, Liu Lijiang, acknowledged this troubling incident as a revealing of gaps in public food safety regulation, promising action and lessons learned moving forward.