No formaldehyde found in Chinese cabbage imports

Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found no formaldehyde in eight recent Chinese cabbage shipments and is expanding tests to products already on the market.

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Officials inspect Chinese cabbage at a facility in Icheon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 30, 2024, in this photo unrelated to the article.

Korean food safety authorities said Wednesday that they tested recent shipments of Chinese cabbage after reports emerged that formaldehyde was being used to keep the vegetable fresh in China, and found no traces of the chemical.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety tested eight shipments of Chinese cabbage declared for import over two days from Monday and found no traces of formaldehyde in any of them.

The Food Ministry is also testing Chinese cabbage, kimchi and salted cabbage already in Korean markets.

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China's central government previously ordered a special investigation following reports that formaldehyde was being used in some rural areas to preserve cabbage.

All products from Chinese manufacturers are being inspected as part of the probe, with results to be released at a later date.

Formaldehyde is a hazardous substance classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization. The chemical is used for disinfection and the preservation of biological tissue.

The Food Ministry is also communicating with Chinese authorities to determine whether any cabbage treated with formaldehyde was imported into Korea.

Shoppers browse vegetables and fruit in a Seoul supermarket produce section.
A shopper browses the produce aisle in Seoul on July 21.

“We will continue to gather information on cabbage treated with formaldehyde and strengthen inspections so people can consume food with confidence,” a Food Ministry official said.


BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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