Korea steps up checks on Chinese cabbage, kimchi amid formaldehyde scare

Korean authorities have intensified safety checks on imported Chinese cabbage and kimchi — staples of Korean cuisine — after a Chinese supplier was found to have used formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, to extend the shelf life of harvested cabbages.

Central and local authorities say they have strengthened inspections at ports of entry while expanding testing for the chemical and other potentially harmful substances in food ingredients from China.

On Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the city-run Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment to observe the testing process, including sample preparation and detailed laboratory analysis of Chinese cabbage and cabbage kimchi collected for screening.

“Public anxiety over Chinese food ingredients has grown significantly following the discovery of a case in which formaldehyde was used in Chinese cabbage kimchi,” Oh said. “We will use this opportunity to strengthen regular inspections — not only for formaldehyde, but also to determine whether Chinese food ingredients are exposed to heavy metals, artificial coloring agents or other harmful substances — so that citizens can have confidence in food safety.”

The concern followed a formaldehyde contamination case in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, where Chinese authorities confirmed that a supplier had treated harvested cabbages with the chemical in an apparent effort to keep them fresh longer.

Formaldehyde is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. It is commonly used for industrial purposes, disinfection and the preservation of biological specimens but is prohibited for use in food.

The case came to light after a video uploaded to Chinese social media on Aug. 22 showed workers soaking cabbages in liquid before loading them onto trucks. Local authorities later confirmed that the liquid contained formaldehyde.

Chinese media reported Sunday that police detained three suspects in connection with the case.

According to data from the Korea Customs Service, China accounts for about 99 percent of Korea’s kimchi imports. Imports of Chinese kimchi reached a record high of 336,221 tons last year, up from 253,432 tons in 2016. Korea also imported about 20,000 tons of fresh and chilled Chinese cabbage last year.

In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Aug. 27 that it had inspected 82 samples of Chinese cabbage kimchi, fresh cabbage and salted-cabbage products circulating in Korea and found no detectable formaldehyde.

The ministry also examined the sources of cabbages used by all 55 Chinese cabbage kimchi producers certified under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for export to Korea. None were found to have used cabbages grown in Kangbao County, it noted.

Since October 2024, imported Chinese cabbage kimchi has been permitted only if it is produced at HACCP-certified overseas manufacturing facilities.