No formaldehyde was detected in Chinese-grown napa cabbage and cabbage kimchi distributed in South Korea, easing consumer concerns that grew after reports that formaldehyde had been used in transporting cabbage in parts of China.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on the 30th that it collected and tested 82 items of Chinese-made cabbage kimchi, cabbage and salted cabbage sold in the country, and found no formaldehyde in any of them. The tests covered 50 kimchi products, 29 cabbage samples and three salted cabbage samples. The ministry said the testing covered products from all Chinese manufacturing and packaging companies whose goods are currently sold in South Korea.
The ministry also checked whether cabbage from the Chinese region at the center of the controversy had entered the country. Through the Korea Institute for Food Safety Management Accreditation office in China, the ministry surveyed the cabbage suppliers used by 55 HACCP-certified Chinese companies that export cabbage kimchi to South Korea. None of them sourced cabbage grown in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province.
Customs inspections of Chinese cabbage have also been tightened. The ministry said it strengthened import inspections of Chinese cabbage starting on the 24th, immediately after the controversy erupted, and has been testing shipments declared for import since that date for formaldehyde. In customs-stage tests announced on the 26th, no formaldehyde was found in eight shipments of Chinese cabbage declared for import at the time.
The testing began after a video circulated showing formaldehyde being applied to cabbage in China. The controversy erupted on the 22nd when a Chinese blogger posted footage of workers in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, dipping the root ends of cabbages into a formaldehyde solution before loading them onto trucks. A container shown in the video was labeled "formaldehyde solution."
The Kangbao County government opened an investigation the same day and said the allegations in the video were true. Local authorities said a produce buyer had illegally used the formaldehyde solution to keep the cabbage fresh during transport. Police took legal action against those involved and the vehicles used, and are tracing the distribution route of the cabbage in question.
Formaldehyde is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Because the chemical must not be used in food, the case in China raised concerns among South Korean consumers. The ministry's tests, however, found no formaldehyde in Chinese cabbage, cabbage kimchi or salted cabbage sold in the country.
Controls on imported Chinese cabbage kimchi have also been tightened. According to the ministry, since October 2024 only cabbage kimchi produced by HACCP-certified overseas manufacturers can be imported into South Korea. The 55 Chinese manufacturers whose cabbage suppliers were surveyed are all HACCP-certified.
Hygiene controversies over Chinese kimchi have surfaced repeatedly. Parasite eggs were found in Chinese kimchi in 2005, and pathogenic E. coli was detected in 2013. In 2021, footage of a shirtless man standing in a vat of brine while salting cabbage — dubbed the "naked kimchi" video — spread online and renewed scrutiny of hygiene at Chinese kimchi plants.
The ministry said it will continue to promptly verify information about imported foods that pose potential safety risks and conduct any necessary testing.
