South Korea tightens China cabbage inspections after formaldehyde scandal
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China accounted for nearly all imports of napa cabbage, the variety traditionally used to make kimchi, in South Korea.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
- South Korea has increased inspections of Chinese cabbage imports after formaldehyde use was found to preserve freshness, raising food safety concerns.
- China responded with strict market checks and promised severe punishment for violations involving formaldehyde use on vegetables.
- Chinese cabbage imports are vital for South Korea's kimchi industry, especially during the kimjang season, with 99.9% of kimchi imports coming from China.
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SEOUL – South Korea has stepped up checks of cabbage arriving from China after sellers there were found to be using formaldehyde to keep the brassicas fresh, triggering a widespread crackdown by Beijing.
Cabbage is an essential ingredient in kimchi, a fermented dish that is omnipresent in the Korean diet.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it had strengthened inspections of Chinese cabbage at the border and was checking whether affected vegetables had already arrived in the country.
It will take more measures if needed, it said in a text message on Aug 24.
China launched spot checks and market inspections after videos circulated widely online, showing cabbage being dipped into the industrial chemical – which is used by morgues to preserve dead bodies, among other applications – to make them last longer.
“Any violations of laws or regulations, once discovered, will be severely punished with zero tolerance,” China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.
South Korea is heading into kimchi-making season, known as kimjang, a UNESCO-listed heritage practice, which starts in late autumn and runs through to the year end.
While South Korea produces the bulk of its own cabbage, imports from China, including Chinese-made kimchi, have become an important source of cheaper supply for restaurants and other food-service businesses.
Of the 341,316.9 tonnes of kimchi South Korea imported in the year through July, 99.9 per cent came from China, Customs data show.
China also accounted for nearly all imports of napa cabbage, the variety traditionally used to make kimchi.
The food safety scandal erupted after footage circulated online showing workers in China’s Kangbao county, in northern Hebei province, dipping cabbage roots into liquid before loading the vegetables onto trucks.
Local authorities confirmed formaldehyde had been used during the purchasing and transport process, according to Chinese and South Korean media reports. BLOOMBERG
