Forbidden Green Dye Dripping... 80 Tons of 'Dyed Lettuce' Seized, Is It on Our Tables?

This is a vegetable processing workshop in Gansu Province, China.

Workers dip vegetables into plastic drums filled with liquid and take them out.

These are stem lettuce, known as "gungchae," which are also commonly used in side dishes and other recipes in South Korea.

["Dyed Lettuce" Whistleblower Blogger: It has been confirmed that a vegetable dyeing base exists in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. More than half of the 13 vegetable warehouses were captured using unidentified liquids.]

The Chinese blogger who posted the video on social media revealed that tests on the solution used at the workshop confirmed it to be a "compound coloring agent."

The vegetables were reportedly coated with green dye to make them look fresher.

As the controversy grew, authorities in Gansu Province launched an inspection and cracked down on six dyed lettuce businesses out of 53 vegetable companies in the jurisdiction.

The dye used by these businesses is permitted as an additive in certain foods such as beverages, but is strictly prohibited for use on fresh vegetables.

The volume of "dyed lettuce" seized from the six companies alone reached a total of 80 tons.

Authorities stated that all the products secured at the scene were disposed of entirely.

Chinese authorities have booked the six implicated companies and are investigating the exact distribution routes of the dyed lettuce.

The South Korean Embassy in China has requested Chinese authorities to verify whether this dyed lettuce was also exported to South Korea.

Lettuce Dipped in "Unidentified Liquid"... South Korea Checking for Imports (September 7, 2026, 8 News)

(Reported by Kim Young-ah | Written by Choi Yoon-seo | Video Edited by Park Choon-bae | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.