Chinese authorities confirmed earlier this week that several Napa cabbages from Hebei, China’s largest cabbage-producing region, had tested positive for traces of formaldehyde, a colourless toxin often used in embalming. The chemical is strictly prohibited in food in China, but is reportedly being used to keep vegetables fresh during warm summer and autumn months.
The allegations were first raised by a Chinese environmentalist vlogger, Yu Lie Qi Ge, who documented the harvesting process in Hebei. While filming, he observed cabbages being dipped into a clear liquid before being loaded onto trucks heading to markets in the country’s south. The videos showed bottles labelled with “formaldehyde solution” on or near the trucks.
Yu Lie Qi Ge said he traced the transportation of the cabbages to several markets in southern China, where local authorities tested the cabbages and confirmed they were laced with formaldehyde. After the videos were posted online, officials confirmed the authenticity of the footage and acknowledged there had been “illegal practice,” launching an immediate investigation.
The Kangbao County Government in Hebei also said it had started an emergency traceability investigation into the distribution of the cabbages in question.
The video has since gone viral on Chinese social media, flooding platforms with angry and anxious reactions. “Then what can we eat now?” one user asked. Another wrote, “I’m shocked. Everyone is afraid of formaldehyde and knows exactly what it would cost. Now they’re adding it to the cabbages.”
The use of formaldehyde to keep food fresh is strictly prohibited in China, and officials have launched nationwide market checks for more potentially contaminated vegetables. The incident has sparked widespread anger and panic both within China and in other countries that import Chinese cabbages. China is the world’s largest supplier of cabbages.