Article body
The 'formaldehyde cabbage' incident that occurred in China is causing significant uproar. Recently, Chinese public security agencies apprehended three individuals in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, on suspicion of using formaldehyde to maintain the freshness of cabbage, and an investigation is underway. This incident began with a video released by a blogger on the 22nd, which showed cabbage being soaked in a formaldehyde solution.
It has been confirmed that cabbage buyers used formaldehyde to extend freshness by 2 to 3 days during long-distance transportation. Subsequently, authorities traced the distribution route and discovered that the problematic cabbage had been sent to Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. However, local government sample tests found that most did not detect formaldehyde residues, and it remains unclear whether the problematic cabbage and the samples tested were from the same batch.
As a result of this incident, Chinese authorities announced that they would conduct special inspections on fresh agricultural products and strengthen crackdowns on the use of illegal preservatives. Formaldehyde is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO), raising significant concerns among consumers.