Another Poisonous Vegetable! China's 'Formaldehyde Cabbage' Leaks, Is Taiwan's Baby Bok Choy Safe? Food and Drug Administration and Doctors Explain

Recently, it was reported in China that cabbage was illegally treated with formaldehyde, causing a wave of food safety concerns. After related videos spread on the internet, some netizens shared that 'baby bok choy kept in the refrigerator for 3 weeks did not rot,' suspecting that it might have been added with formaldehyde, commonly known as 'formalin.' As the news continues to spread, many Taiwanese people have started to worry whether the baby bok choy on the market also has similar issues. However, according to the information currently held by the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration, fresh cabbage from China is a product that is prohibited from being imported into Taiwan, and there have been no related border inspection records this year. Toxicologist Yen Tsung-Hai reminds that simply 'vegetables do not rot after a long time' cannot determine whether formaldehyde has been used. The storage time of baby bok choy may originally be affected by factors such as variety, water content, and refrigeration environment.

The incident originated from a video released by Chinese environmentalist 'Yu Liei Qi Ge,' which was filmed in a cabbage production area at the border between Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia. The content revealed that some vegetable businesses, before shipping the cabbage, would dip the roots in a formaldehyde solution known as 'formalin.' From the way the workers operated, the main purpose was to use chemical substances to inhibit the heat, spoilage, and odor of the cabbage roots, while maintaining the appearance of the cut surface, making the vegetables look fresher during long-distance transportation. This practice has also attracted the attention of Chinese authorities, and local governments have subsequently confirmed the situation. Public security departments have already intervened in the handling, and relevant cross-departmental units have launched investigations into the product flow.

The most concerning issue for Taiwanese netizens is 'why can baby bok choy be kept for so long?' Some netizens believe that if a vegetable can maintain its complete appearance in the refrigerator for more than 2-3 weeks, it might be due to the addition of preservatives or even formaldehyde. However, Dr. Yen Tsung-Hai, the director of the Clinical Toxicology Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, stated that this method of judgment is not accurate. The storage time of vegetables is not solely determined by whether chemical substances have been added. Refrigeration temperature, packaging method, vegetable water content, and the structure of the tissue itself can all affect the rate of decay. In particular, baby bok choy has a higher degree of leaf coverage, and water loss is relatively slower. Under appropriate refrigeration conditions, it may naturally be stored longer than some leafy vegetables. Therefore, 'not rotting after a long time' can only represent that it is maintaining a certain state under the current storage conditions and cannot be directly equated with 'containing formaldehyde.'

Although you cannot directly determine the presence of formaldehyde in vegetables just by looking at their shelf life, if food is indeed illegally adulterated, the health risks cannot be ignored. Yen Tsung-Hai pointed out that formaldehyde is a highly irritating chemical substance, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization has classified it as a Group 1 carcinogen. If the human body is exposed to a large amount of formaldehyde, it may cause noticeable irritation. If contaminated food is accidentally ingested, the following symptoms may occur: Nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, gastrointestinal irritation, and chemical burns. In severe cases of exposure, it may even lead to dangerous conditions such as shock. In addition, long-term exposure to formaldehyde is also associated with cancer risk, so formaldehyde is not a preservative that can be used in general foods.

The Food and Drug Administration stated that fresh cabbage from China is currently a product that is not allowed to be imported into Taiwan, and there have been no related border inspection records this year. In other words, the formaldehyde cabbage incident that recently broke out in China does not represent that the same batch of problematic vegetables has entered the Taiwanese market. In addition, South Korea recently announced that there were unqualified kimchi products, which also sparked online discussions. However, the competent authorities have confirmed that the problematic products were not imported to Taiwan.

Although imported foods are monitored by the competent authorities, when purchasing vegetables in markets or supermarkets, consumers can still raise their awareness through a few simple methods. 1. If you smell a pungent chemical odor, put it down immediately. Generally, vegetables will have a natural vegetable smell or a soil-like smell. If you pick it up and smell a noticeable pungent odor, or a smell similar to disinfectant or chemical agents, it is advisable not to buy it. 2. If the cut surface is abnormally white and smooth, be alert. When cabbage and other vegetables are cut, the cut surface usually changes gradually as it is exposed to air. If you notice that the roots or cut surface are in an abnormally white, smooth state, and clearly different from the usual appearance of cabbage, it is better to choose other products. 3. Peel the leaves and rinse thoroughly before cooking. When you bring home cabbage or baby bok choy, you can peel the leaves one by one before cooking and rinse them thoroughly with running water. However, it should be noted that washing is not the only way to judge the safety of food. If the ingredients already have a noticeable odor, unclear origin, or abnormal appearance, the most appropriate action is still not to consume them.