Officials from Hebei Province in Northeast China have confirmed facts captured on video: resellers soaked cabbages in a special solution before loading them onto trucks, reports BBC.
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Formaldehyde can cause cancer
This information was first shared last week by an environmental blogger. In China, the use of formaldehyde to maintain food freshness is strictly prohibited. This colorless chemical, commonly used to preserve biological samples, is officially recognized as a carcinogen.
China is the largest cabbage producer in the world, with most of the production exported to neighboring Asian countries. According to state media, the police have already taken legal action against those responsible.
Urgent inspections at markets
To prevent public panic and restore trust, officials are conducting unplanned inspections at markets across the country. Chinese state media reports that investigators will determine the scale of this criminal practice and take measures to track contaminated vegetables.
“All identified illegal or non-compliant actions will be strictly evaluated according to the law to ensure the safe supply of vegetables,” stated representatives of Kangbao District authorities in a statement released on Saturday.
Beijing’s “Xinfadi” market, one of the main suppliers of fresh produce to the capital, issued a statement saying it has investigated the origin of the cabbages and assured that contaminated vegetables did not reach the trading place.
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This incident has attracted significant attention from Chinese media, notes BBC.
The editorial section of the “People’s Daily” writes: “Wholesalers focused only on short-term economic interests, completely disregarding consumers’ lives and health. [They] crossed the legal red line and trampled on fundamental moral principles.”
Almost half of the world’s harvest
China grows more than 30 million tons of cabbage annually – nearly half of the world’s total harvest. Among the largest export destinations for these vegetables are Vietnam, South Korea, and Russia.
According to the American Cancer Society, relatively high levels of formaldehyde in some workplaces are associated with certain types of cancer, but the effects of low doses on the human body are not yet clear.
Formaldehyde, most commonly in its aqueous solution formalin, is one of the main substances used in morgues, pathology departments, and funeral homes. It can stop tissue decay (putrefaction) – chemically “binding” proteins, so the body remains unchanged longer. This allows preparing the deceased for viewing or preserving the body for a longer time.
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