China Investigates Nappa Cabbage Treated with Carcinogen to Cut Refrigeration Costs

[Anchor]

The recent incident in China where nappa cabbages were found treated with a Group 1 carcinogen was reportedly done to avoid using refrigerated trucks to cut transportation costs. Chinese authorities are investigating where these cabbages were distributed.

Reporting from Beijing, this is correspondent Han Sang-woo.

[Reporter]

Chinese distributors say that using the preservative formaldehyde can maintain the freshness of nappa cabbages for a longer period.

[Weiyuezhige / Blogger Who Exposed Formaldehyde Cabbages : (How much longer can they be kept fresh this way?) Two to three days.]

Even within China, long-distance transport typically requires refrigerated vehicles to maintain freshness, but soaking cabbages in water mixed with formaldehyde allows them to be transported using regular cargo trucks instead.

Costs drop by more than half compared to refrigerated transport.

At the time of the crackdown, the cabbages loaded on the trucks were headed to destinations such as Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, both of which are 10 to 12 hours away by vehicle.

The Chinese government has launched formaldehyde tests on cabbages distributed nationwide, including these regions.

It is also investigating the distribution routes and scale of shipments from the nappa cabbage cultivation areas in Hebei Province.

At the same time, Beijing announced plans to build a modern agricultural product origin system by 2030, containing information on production sites, distribution paths, and prices.

So far, only reports stating that cabbages distributed in major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou are problem-free have emerged, while comprehensive investigation results are still pending.

[Beijing Resident : It is not just South Koreans who are worried about this. We are very worried too. As soon as we saw the news, we had an immediate and massive reaction. Who wouldn't worry?]

South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is checking through the South Korean Embassy in China to see if any quantities from the problematic cabbage cultivation areas were imported into South Korea.

The South Korean Embassy in China has requested verification from Chinese food safety authorities and import-export departments, but has not yet received a response.

(Camera: Choi Deok-hyun | Video Editing: Chae Cheol-ho | Design: Im Chan-hyuk)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.