More than 200 children at a kindergarten in China were found to have abnormally high levels of lead in their blood – after staff added color to the food served, report Chinese authorities.
The purpose of the colored food was to attract more children to eat it and thus also increase the kindergarten's revenue, reports Chinese TV channel CCTV with reference to an investigation into the incident.
High levels of lead were found, among other things, in a breakfast cake and a sausage dish served for dinner.
Of the 251 students at the kindergarten, 233 had abnormally high lead levels, of which 201 received hospital care as a result. Dozens of children were found to have levels above the Chinese limit for lead poisoning.