More than 200 children in northwest China have been hospitalized with lead poisoning after school chefs used toxic paint to decorate food at a kindergarten. Authorities arrested eight individuals, including the principal and main investor of Peixin Kindergarten, in Tianshui City, Gansu Province, after tests revealed that lead levels in steamed red date cake and sausage corn buns were up to 2,000 times over the national safety limit, according to the BBC. A total of 233 children were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood after eating the food. Police confirmed the kitchen staff had purchased the industrial-grade paint online—clearly labeled as inedible—and hid the supplies after children began to fall ill. It is not known how long the paint was being used in the food, but several parents told state media that their children had been suffering from stomach pain, leg aches, and loss of appetite since at least March. One parent told the BBC his son required 10 days of treatment and medication, adding that they are concerned about the long-term effects of the poisoning on his child’s liver and digestive system.
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