Chinese vegetable growers irrigate cabbage with formaldehyde

A new food scandal in China: in order to make cabbage more durable during transport, producers evidently have treated the vegetable with formaldehyde (also known as methanal). This chemical, however, is known to be cause cancer, may cause serious allergies and in high concentration may be life threatening to humans.

The accusations are severe and are not just based on a single occurrence. Tens of wholesalers are said to have used formaldehyde in Qingzhou in the East Chinese province of Shandong, to make cabbage last longer. The cabbages grown here are supplied to neighbouring provinces and to the north of the country. "This is the normal way to keep cabbages fresh" the cabbage grower Yin Lihua from Dongxia said to the newspaper 'China Daily'. "Otherwise the closely packed vegetables would get limp in the lorry." In China vegetable wholesalers are not obliged by law to transport their goods in cooling trucks. Most of them could not even afford those.

A lot of unrest is the result of these facts becoming known amongst consumers. A producer using formaldehyde declared to 'China Daily' that the vegetable traders use of the dangerous chemical, because the vegetable could be sold better.

The police in Qingzhou has started an investigation in the meantime. It is not known whether any arrests have already been made. Also it is completely unclear how the use of poison is to be punished in any case.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Health Ministry has stated the cabbages from the country are free of formaldehyde and safe to eat.

Director General, Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said there is no evidence that cabbages from China are tainted with formaldehyde.

He said that the cabbages had been tested since May 9th at points of entry and that the testing will continue to ensure the standards are maintained.

"Samples will be taken for analysis and if found to contain formaldehyde, action will be taken," he said.

Hasan urged importers to check that the foods they intended to bring into the country complied with the country's standards.