Three Arrested in China Over 'Formaldehyde Cabbages' Used to Maintain Freshness

The individuals involved in the recent "formaldehyde cabbage" controversy in China have been apprehended by authorities.

According to China's The Paper and Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, Chinese public security authorities have detained three suspects in connection with the formaldehyde cabbage case in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, and are conducting further investigations.

They are accused of soaking cabbages in a formaldehyde solution and distributing them to keep them fresh for an extra two to three days during long-distance transport.

The case came to light on the 22nd through an exposure video by a blogger, and subsequent investigations by authorities confirmed that the cabbages in question were distributed to Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.

The footage showed traders picking up cabbages one by one and dipping their roots into a basin containing a liquid presumed to be formaldehyde before loading them onto trucks.

While market sample tests conducted by the local government did not detect formaldehyde residues, it has not been verified whether the tested cabbages were from the same batch in question.

As the controversy grew, Chinese authorities ordered local governments to conduct special inspections on fresh agricultural products and crack down on the illegal use of preservatives.

Formaldehyde is a Group 1 carcinogen designated by the World Health Organization, and China strictly prohibits its use in food processing.

Amid the controversy, the South Korean government also launched an investigation.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that after collecting and testing 82 items, including Chinese-imported kimchi, fresh cabbages, and salted cabbages currently circulating domestically, no formaldehyde was detected.

An investigation into the raw cabbage suppliers of 55 companies exporting kimchi to South Korea also revealed that not a single company used cabbages produced in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, where the issue originated.

Reported by So Hwan-uk | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News (Source: Daxiang News, China Weiliqige Douyin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.