Mark Tanner reports on another trust-hit for some China domestic food brands, a reminder how quickly Chinese consumers will shift away from risks and how important it is for foreign brands to bolster their safety credibility

By Mark Tanner*

The private kindergarten in northwest China claimed that it was for their marketing campaign to bolster enrolments: photographs of children dining on bright yellow sausage buns and red date cakes featuring vibrant teal and pink layers.

Yet, what gave the food its lively colour wasn’t natural ingredients, or even food colouring, but industrial paint. Not your water-based variety – which is horrific enough – but lead paint, banned in much of the world for generations.

The result was 233 preschool children having abnormally high levels of lead in their blood, of which 201 were hospitalised. The analysis indicated that the poisoning hadn’t been a one-off for a photo-shoot, but had been going on for months.

A “Photo Op” Became a Crime Scene

Security footage obtained during the investigation showed staff mixing yellow paint powder directly into flour, confirming the deliberate nature of the contamination. Eight individuals have been arrested, including the kindergarten’s principal and financial backer.

Early test results revealed that the lead content in the tainted food exceeded China’s national food safety limit by over 2,000 times.

Lead poisoning at this level can cause irreversible harm to the brain and central nervous system, with young children being particularly vulnerable. Long-term effects may include learning disabilities, behavioural issues, and permanent IQ loss.

In one example reported by a People's Daily-affiliated outlet, a mother recounted her confusion over her daughter’s persistent stomach aches, appetite loss, and personality changes - symptoms that she tried to treat with traditional Chinese medicine for six months, without success.

A Familiar Shock

The story has unleashed a wave of public anger and anxiety, echoing previous food safety disasters that remain seared in the national consciousness. Among them: the 2008 melamine-laced infant formula scandal that killed six babies and hospitalised 54,000, and more recent scandals, like last year’s exposé into cooking oil being transported in unwashed tankers previously used for coal-derived fuel.

On Chinese social media, the Gansu kindergarten incident has quickly become a rallying point, with citizens questioning the effectiveness of local regulation and the potential for institutional cover-ups.

More troubling still were reports that local hospital tests showed much lower lead levels than those from hospitals in Xi’an, located four hours away, raising fears that officials may have tried to downplay the crisis.

Trust on the Line

Despite significant improvements in China’s food safety enforcement in recent years, cases like this continue to challenge public trust. Parents, in particular, continue to be vigilant and risk-averse, especially those who have made the decision to have a child in a country where birth rates are declining and childrearing is becoming a deliberate, high-investment choice.

Most Chinese parents are taking no chances. They’re not just thinking about what to feed their kids, but how to teach them, protect them, and even where to let them play.

In the aftermath of the scandal, national health authorities have launched a formal investigation and pledged to hold all responsible parties accountable. Meanwhile, affected families are left grappling with uncertain medical outcomes, and a devastating breach of trust from an institution meant to nurture, not harm, their children.

While parents are among the most watchful, incidents like this ripple far beyond childcare. Trust in locally produced food and beverages has taken another hit, and many Chinese consumers continue to perceive foreign brands as safer and more reliable.

This presents a renewed opportunity for international brands – particularly in categories that involve ingestion or skin contact, such as food, supplements, personal care and cosmetics products.

But while safety remains a powerful lever, it’s no longer enough on its own.

Chinese consumers are more discerning, not just about ingredients and their origin, but also about brand relevance, product functions, format, and value.

Foreign brands must ensure their messaging resonates, their positioning aligns with their target audience, and their channel strategy is sharp. As foreign cosmetic brands on Douyin have recently discovered, getting the local execution right can unlock significant growth.

*Mark Tanner is the CEO of China Skinny, a marketing consultancy in Shanghai. This article was first published here, and is re-posted with permission.