No evidence of formalin found in cabbage, other vegetables imported from China: SFA

SINGAPORE – Tests on vegetables imported from China, including cabbage, have shown no evidence of formalin contamination, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

The tests were carried out as part of the agency’s stepped-up surveillance following reports of cabbage from Hebei, China, being treated with formalin, a formaldehyde solution, said SFA in a media reply on Sept 4.

SFA said it has in place a food sampling and testing programme as part of its science-based risk management approach to ensure food products comply with Singapore’s food regulations.

It said: “We will continue to conduct monitoring, sampling and testing to ensure all food products sold, including vegetables from China, are safe for consumption.”

On Sept 1, SFA said it was aware of reports regarding the alleged use of formaldehyde on cabbage in China.

SFA said then that it was monitoring the developments closely and had stepped up surveillance and testing of cabbage as part of its food safety monitoring programme.

China launched spot checks and inspections after videos circulated widely online show cabbage being dipped in the industrial chemical – which is used by morgues to preserve dead bodies, among other applications – to make them last longer.

The food safety scandal erupted after footage circulated online shows workers in China’s Kangbao county, in northern Hebei province, dipping cabbage roots in a liquid before loading the vegetables onto trucks, Bloomberg reported.

According to Bloomberg, the local authorities confirmed that formaldehyde had been used during the purchasing and transport process, according to Chinese and South Korean media reports.

In its Sept 4 statement, SFA said consumers can follow food safety tips to consume vegetables safely, such as washing hands before and after handling vegetables and washing non-ready-to-eat vegetables thoroughly.

More information on food safety of raw vegetables can be found on SFA’s website.