On 16/10, the Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court in Gansu province, China, sentenced Ly Hue Phuong, owner of Boixin Preschool in Tianshui city, to life imprisonment and a 75,000 USD fine for producing or selling toxic food.

In July last year, authorities discovered over 200 children suffering from lead poisoning at the preschool. Following an investigation, police found that four kitchen staff members purchased decorative paint online, then diluted and mixed it into the food to make dishes appear more appealing.

Footage captured by cameras shows kitchen staff at Boixin Preschool mixing paint into students' food. *Photo: SCMP*

Test results confirmed that this paint, clearly labeled as inedible, contained lead. Food samples from the school were found to contain lead levels exceeding the national safety limit by 2,000 times.

Their actions resulted in 233 of the 252 children at Boixin Preschool having abnormal lead levels in their blood.

This incident is among China's worst child-related food safety scandals in recent years, sparking widespread outrage across the country. Many drew comparisons to the 2008 melamine-tainted milk scandal, which poisoned approximately 300,000 children.

Police determined that the kitchen staff acted under Ly Hue Phuong's direction, with the approval of school principal Chu Canh Lam. The court sentenced Principal Chu to 15 years in prison and a fine of nearly 45,000 USD. The four kitchen staff members received sentences of 6-8 years in prison, along with accompanying fines.

Boixin Preschool in Tianshui city, Gansu province, China. *Photo: SCMP*

Today, People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, stated that the Boixin Preschool scandal "dealt a severe blow to food safety standards," asserting that authorities "will not tolerate" any actions that endanger public health.

The newspaper stressed that officials must not overlook any similar incidents and must "severely punish all those responsible for safety violations."

"Only by imposing heavy penalties that make offenders pay a steep price can we deter wrongdoing, compel businesses to comply with regulations, and prevent them from crossing the 'red line,'" the article stated.

Earlier this week, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Communist Party of China's top body overseeing national security and intelligence, affirmed that illegal acts threatening food safety must be "severely punished."

Vu Hoang (According to People's Daily, Xinhua, SCMP)