Chinese authorities have detained three suspects after a video showed cabbage roots being soaked in a formaldehyde solution on a farm in Hebei province. Formaldehyde is a carcinogenic substance, and the footage, posted by a blogger, quickly drew public outrage.
China's central government launched an investigation immediately after the allegation was confirmed and ordered emergency recalls of cabbage distributed in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. Premier Li Qiang also ordered a special inspection of food safety, underscoring the seriousness of the response.
The unusually fast action reflects growing public sensitivity in China over food safety, as well as the government's emphasis on food security. Officials are also mindful of possible diplomatic fallout, since countries including South Korea and Taiwan import Chinese cabbage and are watching the case closely.
Chinese authorities have not yet found evidence that the contaminated cabbage was further processed into products such as kimchi for overseas distribution.
