China Probes Formaldehyde Use on Cabbages

Chinese authorities have launched a nationwide investigation and inspection campaign after a video surfaced showing farmers in Hebei province using formaldehyde, a carcinogenic chemical, to preserve cabbages during transport. The incident, which has raised fresh concerns about food safety in the country, prompted immediate action from central government agencies and triggered heightened scrutiny from neighboring South Korea. The controversy began on August 22, 2026, when a blogger posted a video showing workers at a cabbage procurement site in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, dipping the root ends of cabbages into a container labeled "formaldehyde solution" before loading them onto trucks.