Chinese court issues first-instance ruling, also orders forfeiture of 500,000 yuan

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A Chinese kindergarten director has been sentenced to life in prison for ordering staff to mix paint banned for consumption into children's meals, causing mass lead poisoning among students last year.

A court in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, handed down the first-instance ruling Friday, sentencing the kindergarten's de facto director, identified only by the surname Li, to life imprisonment on charges of producing and selling toxic and harmful food, Yonhap said, citing Xinhua and the South China Morning Post.

The court also stripped Li of political rights for life and ordered the forfeiture of 500,000 yuan ($74,800). Hong Kong media reported that Li was the kindergarten's owner and investor.

The kindergarten's executive director, surnamed Zhu, received a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen workers who participated in the scheme under their superiors' orders were sentenced to between six and eight years in prison.

The incident came to light last year when 247 of 251 enrolled children and 28 of 34 staff members at a kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu Province, were found to have abnormal test results. The children reported symptoms including vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, hair loss, hypersensitivity and tooth discoloration.

An investigation found that Li and others had ordered the purchase of paint to make food photos used in enrollment promotional materials look more vibrant. The kindergarten then mixed the non-food-grade paint into flour dough to make bread and other baked goods served to the children. Although food-grade coloring was cheaper, the kindergarten chose the harmful paint because it produced more vivid colors.

China's standard for normal blood lead levels in children is below 100 micrograms per liter, but many of the affected students were found to have levels between 200 and 500 micrograms per liter. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible damage to the brain and central nervous system. Children in particular may suffer reduced cognitive function and attention span, as well as developmental delays.


ehkim@heraldcorp.com