"Five others were also jailed after more than 200 children in Gansu were poisoned by paint used to improve the appearance of canteen food.
Laboratory tests confirmed that the paint – which had been clearly marked as not safe for consumption – contained lead.
Of the 251 children at Peixin Kindergarten, 233 were found to have abnormal blood lead levels while 18 returned tests within the normal range.
Food samples from the kindergarten were found to contain more than 2,000 times the national safe limit for contaminants.
The case, one of the worst food safety scandals involving children for several years, sparked nationwide fury."
Edit - some additional coverage from ABC, illustrating that it was added to “make the food brighter and more appealing to students”. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-17/kindergarten-staff-jailed-over-lead-poisoning-in-china/107278660
Feels like this would be a good time for China’s leadership to catch up to the developed world and ban making lead paint. It’s unneccessary and leaves environmental contamination anywhere it’s used: a legacy of shit for future generations to clean up (and pay for). And of course - the human lives that are given lasting damage when exposed. All to save a bit of money because lead white paint lasts longer? Shameful.
The story seems weird to me.
What kind of paint are they putting on food that wouldn’t be at least weird tasting?
And why do you actually care if the kids eat the food, to the level of trying to adulterate it? Isn’t it enough from a legal perspective to provide food?
I could see painting sample dishes to photograph for their advertising, to flimflam parents who are actually paying for the service, and then people might complain the actual meal is less vibrant, with far less risk and ongoing cost.
This is a remarkable combination of cunning and stupid.
Lead paint tastes sweet, it’s why you had jokes about the slow kids eating it, the boomers just mixed up cause and effect.