Full sweep of Chinese napa cabbage and kimchi on Korean shelves clears safety checks; all 55 HACCP-certified exporters confirmed free of tainted-region sourcing

A still from a video posted by a Chinese blogger alleging formaldehyde contamination in napa cabbage. [Yonhap]
A still from a video posted by a Chinese blogger alleging formaldehyde contamination in napa cabbage. [Yonhap]

A government sweep of Chinese-origin kimchi and napa cabbage circulating in South Korea found no trace of formaldehyde, the carcinogen at the center of recent food-safety concerns, authorities said Thursday. The results follow an earlier round of border inspections that also cleared imported shipments, confirming that products already on store shelves pose no safety risk.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it collected and tested 82 samples — 50 of Chinese-made kimchi, 29 of napa cabbage and three of salted cabbage — and detected no formaldehyde in any of them. The probe covered every Chinese manufacturing and packaging facility whose products are currently in circulation in South Korea.

The ministry had earlier conducted precision tests on eight Chinese napa cabbage shipments declared for import on Monday and Tuesday and likewise found no formaldehyde.

In addition, the ministry worked through the Korea Food Safety Management Certification Institute, based in China, to conduct a full investigation into the raw-cabbage suppliers used by all 55 HACCP-certified kimchi manufacturers in the country that export to South Korea.

None of the manufacturers was found to have sourced cabbage from Kangbao County in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province — the area flagged by Chinese media reports as the source of the contamination concern. Since October 2024, only kimchi produced at overseas facilities holding HACCP certification from the ministry has been permitted entry into South Korea.

Since tightening inspection procedures on Monday, the ministry has been conducting formaldehyde tests on every incoming shipment of Chinese napa cabbage at the border, while also running facility-by-facility checks on kimchi and salted cabbage from overseas manufacturers.

"We will continue to swiftly verify information on imported foods that raise safety concerns, carry out necessary precision inspections in a timely manner, and devote every effort to managing the safety of imported food so that the public can eat with confidence," the ministry said.


silverpaper@heraldcorp.com