Over 50 children were taken ill after having breakfast at their kindergarten in central China yesterday morning.

Students in the private Xinxin Kindergarten in Zhengzhou City of Henan Province complained of a stomach ache, and several vomited shortly after taking a breakfast comprised of soy milk, fried eggs and cucumbers.

The children were immediately taken to hospital but 30 have been discharged with the rest staying in for observation.?

Medical staff at Zhengzhou First People's Hospital initially attributed the poisoning to the soy milk not having been thoroughly boiled.

The kindergarten's director and three cooks have been detained by police as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2007)