Three distributors arrested in China's 'formaldehyde cabbage' scandal

Chinese authorities have detained three suspects in connection with the "formaldehyde cabbage" scandal that has sparked widespread public concern in the country.

Chinese public security authorities have placed three suspects in criminal detention and are continuing their investigation into the case, which originated in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, according to Chinese outlet Pengpai News and Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on Sunday.

The scandal broke after it was confirmed that some Chinese cabbage buyers had been soaking the vegetables in formaldehyde solution to extend their freshness during long-distance transport — a practice documented in footage shot Aug. 2-3. A Chinese blogger published a video exposing the practice on Aug. 22, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. The footage showed workers lifting individual heads of cabbage and dipping their roots into a basin containing a liquid believed to be formaldehyde before loading them onto trucks.

Investigators traced the distribution of the tainted cabbage to Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. Sample tests conducted by local governments at various markets mostly found no detectable formaldehyde residue, though it remains unclear whether the tested samples came from the same batch as the cabbage in question.

As the fallout grew, central authorities ordered local governments to carry out special inspections of fresh agricultural produce, including cabbage, and to crack down strictly on the illegal use of preservatives.

Formaldehyde is a colorless, highly irritating chemical whose aqueous solution is commonly known as formalin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a body under the World Health Organization (WHO), classifies formaldehyde as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence it causes cancer in humans. China strictly prohibits the production, sale and use of formaldehyde as a food-processing additive under its Food Safety Law and Agricultural Product Quality Safety Law.