Photo: Screenshot from an online blogger's video

Following reports circulating online about the use of formaldehyde solution during the bulk purchase and transportation of cabbages, county-level authorities in North China's Hebei Province have confirmed its illegal use to preserve freshness after a preliminary investigation. Police have taken legal compulsory measures against the individuals involved and the vehicles concerned, and the case is under further investigation, according to a statement by local authorities on Saturday.

According to The Paper, a blogger posted a video on August 22 claiming that, in Kangbao county of Zhangjiakou, several batches of cabbages were randomly selected for inspection, and all were found to have been dipped in formaldehyde solution before being loaded onto trucks to preserve their freshness.

The statement by authorities in Kangbao county on the same day noted that authorities immediately organized relevant departments, including those responsible for agriculture and rural affairs, market regulation, and public security authorities, to conduct an on-site investigation.

A preliminary investigation has confirmed that the situation shown in the video is genuine. The incident involved the wholesaler illegally using formaldehyde solution during the loading and transportation of vegetables in an attempt to preserve their freshness. The public security authorities have taken legal compulsory measures against the individuals involved and the relevant vehicles. The case is currently under further investigation, per the statement.

At the same time, authorities are urgently tracing the distribution and destination of the affected cabbages. The county is also conducting a comprehensive inspection of vegetable purchasing, transportation, and sales activities to identify and address similar violations. 

"Any illegal or non-compliant practices discovered will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law to ensure the safety of the vegetable supply," the statement read.

In an attempt to improve the appearance of the cabbages and reduce losses during transportation, the wholesalers took the risk of using formaldehyde to preserve them. The nature of the violation is extremely serious and utterly absurd, according to a commentary article published by People's Daily on Saturday.

China's Law on Food Safety and on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products stipulate that the use of freshness-preserving agents, preservatives and other substances in the packaging, preservation, storage and transportation of agricultural products must comply with national food safety standards. Formaldehyde, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, is strictly prohibited from being added or used.

"The wholesalers focused solely on their immediate economic interests while completely disregarding the lives and health of consumers have crossed a legal red line and breached the moral bottom line, while also damaging the good reputation of local agricultural products and causing innocent losses to local farmers who comply with regulations," People's Daily wrote.  

Global Times