The owner of “Heshi Peixin” kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu Province, China, has received a life sentence for poisoning over 200 children with lead. Li Huifan, the kindergarten operator, was found guilty of producing and selling toxic food. An investigation began in July 2025 after children started falling ill, revealing dangerously high lead levels in the blood of 247 students and staff. Cooks at the kindergarten illegally used prohibited industrial pigment in food to improve its appearance, despite clear warnings against its use. The Lanzhou Intermediate People’s Court also ordered the confiscation of 500,000 yuan (approximately $74,700) from Li Huifan's personal assets. The kindergarten’s principal received a 15-year prison sentence and a fine, while four kitchen staff members were sentenced to 6-8 years each for following instructions to add the toxic substance to the food. Food samples contained lead levels 2,000 times higher than China’s national food safety standards.