Hebei authorities confirm illegal formaldehyde use to preserve cabbage

formaldehyde cabbage food safety scandal Hebei agriculture carcinogen contamination Kangbao County

Authorities in Kangbao County, Hebei Province, have confirmed reports that cabbage was illegally treated with formaldehyde to extend its freshness during long-distance transport. The scandal surfaced after a digital content creator released video footage showing workers dipping cabbage roots into a formaldehyde solution to maintain a fresh appearance for an additional two to three days.

Following the exposure, the Chinese central government, including the State Council Food Safety Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, ordered an immediate investigation. Authorities have launched an emergency trace to identify the distribution channels of the affected produce, which has reportedly reached markets in provinces such as Anhui and Jiangsu.

Public security organs have taken compulsory measures against the involved individuals and vehicles. Formaldehyde is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and its use as a food processing additive is strictly prohibited under Chinese food safety laws. The government has also mandated nationwide sample testing for other perishable vegetables to prevent similar occurrences.

Entities

Anhui Province · Hebei Province · International Agency for Research on Cancer · Jiangsu Province · Kangbao County · State Council Food Safety Office · World Health Organization · Zhangjiakou · Zhangjiakou City

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] One blogger claimed to have detected formaldehyde in cabbage from Hebei at a market in Hefei. www.secretchina.com · www.edigest.hk · www.stheadline.com
[● 7 SOURCES] Local authorities in Kangbao County, Hebei Province, confirmed the illegal use of formaldehyde to preserve cabbage. www.click2macao.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · news.nextapple.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as a Group 1 carcinogen. biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · news.nextapple.com
[● 7 SOURCES] Authorities are conducting an emergency trace of the distribution channels for the affected cabbage. www.click2macao.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · news.nextapple.com
[● 7 SOURCES] Public security organs have taken compulsory measures against the involved individuals and vehicles. www.click2macao.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · news.nextapple.com
[● 5 SOURCES] A blogger reported seeing containers labeled 'formaldehyde solution' at the loading site. biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk
[● 5 SOURCES] Workers dipped cabbage roots into formaldehyde solution to extend freshness by two to three days. biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · www.stheadline.com
[● 7 SOURCES] The illegal activity occurred in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province. www.click2macao.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.chosunonline.com · www.edigest.hk · news.nextapple.com