In China, Li Huifang, the owner of a private kindergarten, has been sentenced to life in prison for poisoning children with lead. According to China Central Television, a court in Lanzhou determined that a kindergarten in Tianshui had used toxic dyes in its baked goods.
The facility’s management purchased dyes that were explicitly labeled as non-edible. These were added to dough used to make colorful date-filled cakes and corn-flour rolls containing sausage. In the summer of 2025, many of the children were found to have elevated lead levels. The Associated Press reported that approximately two dozen kindergarten staff members were also exposed to the toxic substance.
Li Huifang’s assets, valued at 500,000 yuan, were confiscated. The kindergarten’s executive director, Zhu Jinglin, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan. Four other kitchen staff members—Niu Aiyuan, Wen Yafang, He Xuxia, and An Chunling—received prison terms ranging from six to eight years, along with fines.
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