More than 200 children in northwest China are being treated for lead poisoning after chefs at a Tianshui City kindergarten used inedible paint to decorate food, authorities say. Tests found lead levels in some food samples were up to 2,000 times the national safety limit. In total, 233 of 251 children at Peixin Kindergarten had high lead levels after eating steamed red date cake and sausage corn buns, per the BBC and South China Morning Post. Chinese state media aired kitchen footage allegedly showing staff adding paint to pigment the food. Police have arrested eight people in connection with the incident, including the school principal and its main investor.
Investigators say the principal instructed kitchen staff to buy the paint online. After children began falling ill, officers searched for the paint supplies, which had been hidden, finding the paint labeled as inedible, according to police. Lab tests confirmed the paint contained lead, per SCMP. Investigators found the contaminated cakes and buns contained between 1052mg/kg and 1340mg/kg of lead; the national food safety limit is 0.5mg/kg. Parents say their children have complained of symptoms, including stomach pain and hair loss, since March. One parent told the BBC his son now requires 10 days of hospital treatment and medication. The incident only came to light after parents raised concerns with local authorities.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
