Probe Expanded to Imported Chinese Kimchi... How to Tell 'Naturally Occurring' Apart

[Anchor]

Following the formaldehyde-tainted Chinese cabbage incident, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has expanded its inspections to include not only Chinese cabbages but also salted cabbages and kimchi. Because formaldehyde is a substance that can be detected even in natural states, it is reportedly unclear whether its detection indicates it came from China.

Reporter Park Ha-jeong has the details.

[Reporter]

The controversy began with Chinese cabbages, but public anxiety has spread to kimchi as well.

Last year alone, imported Chinese cabbages brought into the country reached some 20,200 tons, while imported Chinese kimchi amounted to 336,000 tons—16 times that amount.

[Citizen: We cannot eat a meal without kimchi at home, but when we go out, we avoid eating kimchi. The seasoning paste itself is the problem. No matter how hard individuals or consumers try, it feels useless.]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that no formaldehyde was detected in 8 shipments of imported Chinese cabbages declared for import over a two-day period, and that it has initiated inspections on salted cabbages and baechu kimchi as well.

The ministry added that it is collecting and testing kimchi produced by 59 Chinese manufacturers with a history of import.

However, even if it is detected, challenges remain.

This is because formaldehyde is also present in agricultural products in their natural state.

[Kwon Soon-chan / Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital: (In a natural state) apples can contain 6 to 22 mg/kg, and pears up to 60 mg/kg, it is said. Since there is a process in our bodies where it is naturally generated and quickly converted into a substance called formic acid before being excreted...] (

According to a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety report from 2022, an analysis of 536 types of food currently distributed domestically showed that formaldehyde was detected in 93% of the analyzed items.

In cabbages, about 0.35 mg per kg was detected.

Even if formaldehyde is found in Chinese kimchi or cabbages, it may not be easy to prove whether it was originally present in the natural cabbage or artificially added.

Because formaldehyde is a substance that must not be added to food, clear human safety standards have not yet been researched.

The ministry explained that it launched the formaldehyde tests in consideration of public concerns, and stated that if it is detected, it plans to take measures such as disposal or return by taking the naturally occurring content into account.

(Video Editing: Seeun, Design: Lee Ga-jin, Choi Jae-young, VJ: Shin So-young, Footage provided by: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.