▲ "Carcinogen" used to maintain freshness of napa cabbages in China
After it was revealed that formaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, was used to keep napa cabbages fresh in some rural areas of China, the Chinese central government directly ordered a special investigation.
According to state-run Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television (CCTV), the State Council's Food Safety Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the State Administration for Market Regulation instructed local authorities to conduct a thorough and swift investigation into the "formaldehyde napa cabbage" incident that occurred in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province.
These agencies ordered authorities to trace the distribution routes of the problematic cabbages to block them from entering the market, while sternly punishing any confirmed illegal acts.
They also mandated special sampling inspections and market surveys targeting perishable vegetables like napa cabbages across all regions nationwide.
Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, Beijing's largest agricultural wholesale market, has also launched an investigation into its overall agricultural product distribution routes.
The Xinfadi market stated that the investigation confirmed the problematic cabbages had not flowed into the market, adding that all napa cabbages currently on sale come with inspection compliance reports and that supply remains stable.
The formaldehyde napa cabbage incident came to light after a Chinese blogger released footage filmed at a napa cabbage purchasing site in Kangbao County.
The blogger claimed that workers were applying a formaldehyde solution to napa cabbages to maintain their freshness.
The video captured purchasing agents lifting napa cabbages one by one before loading them onto trucks, dipping their root parts into a basin filled with a liquid suspected to be formaldehyde.
An official at the scene reportedly explained that processing them in this manner keeps the cabbages fresh for 2 to 3 days longer, and a container labeled "formaldehyde solution" was also found next to a delivery truck.
As the controversy grew, the Kangbao County government launched an on-site investigation and confirmed that the contents of the video were true.
The Kangbao County government stated, "This was an illegal act committed by purchasers to maintain freshness during the transportation of napa cabbages," adding that public security authorities have taken coercive measures against the individuals and vehicles involved in accordance with the law.
As of now, it has not been confirmed whether the problematic cabbages were exported overseas, including to South Korea, and the specific scope of distribution within China has not yet been determined.
Formaldehyde is a pungent, colorless chemical substance, and its aqueous solution is commonly known as "formalin."
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency under the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies formaldehyde as a Group 1 carcinogen with sufficient evidence of causing cancer in humans.
China also strictly prohibits the production, sale, and use of formaldehyde as a food processing aid through laws such as the Food Safety Law and the Agricultural Product Quality Safety Law.
As cases of formaldehyde being used to delay the decay of vegetables during long-distance transportation have been uncovered in China in the past, food safety management issues are once again coming under scrutiny in the wake of this incident.
(Photo: Screen capture from a Chinese internet blogger's video, Yonhap News)
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