Amid growing concerns that formaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, was used in China to maintain the freshness of napa cabbage, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon conducted an on-site inspection today (August 31) regarding the safety testing of Chinese napa cabbage and kimchi.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching a four-layer safety network to re-verify Chinese napa cabbage at every stage, from its entry into wholesale markets and online and offline distribution to actual consumption sites such as restaurants and traditional markets.

The city stated that Mayor Oh visited the Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Public Health and Environment to observe the formaldehyde testing process—including sample pretreatment and precision analysis of collected Chinese napa cabbage and kimchi—and to review the response system of each agency.

Formaldehyde is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO), and is used for industrial purposes, disinfection, and the preservation of biological tissues.

As it was recently revealed that the substance was used in some regions of China to keep napa cabbage fresh, the Chinese government has begun tracing distribution routes, and the South Korean government has also strengthened inspections of Chinese napa cabbage at the customs clearance stage.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety inspected 82 cases of Chinese napa cabbage, napa cabbage kimchi, and salted napa cabbage distributed domestically up to August 27, and no formaldehyde was detected in any of them.

Separate from the government's inspection results, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to directly verify the safety of napa cabbage all the way to the stage where citizens actually purchase and consume it.

First, a special inspection will be conducted through September 30 targeting approximately 9,500 kimchi-handling businesses to check their origins and sanitary management practices.

The targets include a complete inspection of 10 kimchi manufacturing and processing businesses, 490 side-dish stores, about 6,400 general restaurants serving napa cabbage kimchi, and 2,600 napa cabbage retail businesses such as traditional markets.

The primary focus of the inspection is the failure to label or the false labeling of the origin of napa cabbage kimchi.

If violations are found, administrative and judicial measures such as imposing fines or filing criminal complaints will be taken.

Chinese kimchi on the market will also be directly inspected.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has initially collected 12 products—including 8 sold online and 4 offline—and is analyzing them at the Institute of Public Health and Environment for formaldehyde content, with plans to conduct additional tests based on the results.

Chinese napa cabbage will also be collected immediately if it enters Seoul wholesale markets such as Garak Market.

The Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation will constantly monitor the inflow status, and the city's Food Policy Division will collect the products so that the Institute of Public Health and Environment can test them.

Up to last month, no problematic Chinese head cabbage (whole cabbage) had been brought into Garak Market, while a limited amount of imported Chinese ssam cabbage (baby Napa cabbage) brought in totaled 1,191 tons.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimated that 5,094 tons of packaged Chinese napa cabbage kimchi were imported through 65 importers nationwide during the month of August.

Inspection results will be disclosed every month.

If products with potential risks are found, they will be immediately reported to related agencies such as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to block their distribution.

To this end, a joint response system involving the Citizen Health Bureau, the Institute of Public Health and Environment, the Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, the Judicial Police Bureau, and 25 autonomous districts has also been launched.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "There can be no complacency when it comes to food safety that says 'this is good enough.' We will meticulously examine everything from the cabbage entering wholesale markets to online and offline distribution products, restaurants, and traditional markets where citizens actually consume them, and take strict action as soon as any problems are identified."

(Photo: Yonhap News)