Chinese kindergarten owner is jailed for life after lead paint laced over 200 children's meals to 'make it more appealing'

Li Huifang, who ran the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, was jailed for life and had 500,000 yuan (about £56,000) of her assets seized. Executive principal Zhu Jinglin received 15 years and a 300,000 yuan fine at Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court. The court found that the pair directed four kitchen workers to introduce toxic substances into the children's food; each worker was sentenced to between six and eight years.

The paint was bought online, and its packaging was 'clearly marked that it was not edible'.

More than 20 staff were also found with abnormally high blood lead levels in July 2025.