The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed on August 31 that no Chinese cabbage containing formaldehyde from Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, has been imported into South Korea, following verification through the South Korean embassy in China.
Formaldehyde is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating sufficient evidence that it can cause cancer in humans.
Since implementing enhanced inspection measures at customs on August 24, the ministry has conducted formaldehyde tests on every shipment of Chinese cabbage during the import process. Inspections are also ongoing for cabbage kimchi and pickled cabbage at various manufacturing facilities.
As of August 31, tests on 15 batches of Chinese cabbage and 124 batches of cabbage kimchi have shown no detection of formaldehyde.
Oh Yu-kyung, head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, visited the Pyeongtaek Import Food Inspection Center on the same day to oversee the inspection process for Chinese cabbage and cabbage kimchi, urging strict adherence to food safety management for imported products.
Oh stated, "Blocking potential hazards from imported food at the customs stage is a crucial safety measure for protecting public health. We will maintain a rigorous inspection system, ensuring that not a single hazardous food item is allowed for import."
The ministry plans to continue enhanced inspections of Chinese cabbage, pickled cabbage, and cabbage kimchi at the import stage to ensure public confidence in food safety.
Additionally, the ministry will closely analyze risk information regarding potentially hazardous imported foods and swiftly implement necessary measures to strengthen food safety management.
This controversy arose after it was confirmed that a solution containing formaldehyde was used to maintain the freshness of cabbage in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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