Authorities in China have confirmed that formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, was applied to napa cabbage to keep it fresh, raising fresh concerns for consumers already wary about the safety of a common dinner-table vegetable.
South Korea's imports of napa cabbage jumped 491% last year to 20,305 tons from 4,135 tons a year earlier, according to trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service released on the 24th. The figure was the highest on record, 1.5 times larger than the 13,564 tons imported in 2010, the year of a well-known "cabbage crisis." Imports of radish have also been rising, and more than 95% of imported cabbage, radish and seasonings come from China.
Imports of finished kimchi products have also grown each year. According to the customs service, kimchi imports rose from 240,606 tons in 2021 to 263,434 tons in 2022, 286,545 tons in 2023 and 311,570 tons in 2024. China accounts for 99% of imported kimchi.
Cancer scare amid growing reliance on China
Against this backdrop of deepening dependence on Chinese cabbage and kimchi, authorities in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, in China's Hebei Province, said they had investigated suspicions that formaldehyde solution was used during the local cabbage procurement process and confirmed the allegations to be true, according to Chinese media.
The illegal practice was traced to a buyer who used formaldehyde solution while loading the cabbage in order to keep it fresh during transport. Local police took enforcement action against those involved and their vehicles and are pursuing further investigation, while urgently tracing the distribution route of the cabbage in question and launching a full inquiry into the procurement, transport and sale of vegetables across Kangbao County.
Formaldehyde is a colorless chemical with a strong, irritating odor, and its aqueous solution is commonly known as formalin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization, classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that it can cause cancer in humans. China also strictly prohibits the production, sale and use of formaldehyde as a food-processing aid under laws including its Food Safety Law and its Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law.
The case came to light after an internet blogger released video footage filmed at a cabbage procurement site in Kangbao County. The video showed workers picking up cabbages one by one, dipping the root ends into basins containing a liquid presumed to be formaldehyde and then loading them onto trucks.
A person at the site was reported to have explained that treating the cabbage this way keeps it fresh for two to three days longer. Containers labeled "formaldehyde solution" were also found next to the trucks.
So far it has not been confirmed whether the affected cabbage was exported to South Korea or other countries, and the specific scope of its distribution within China has not yet been determined. Kangbao County authorities said they would investigate whether similar illegal activity occurred across the entire process from vegetable procurement to transport and sale, and would impose strict punishment under the law if violations are confirmed.
