Singapore Increases Cabbage Testing Following Formaldehyde Scandal in China
2 sources · Singapore · 2 of them are linked to a state
Who reported this
- CNA
- The Straits Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from Singapore.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on September 1 that it has increased surveillance and testing of cabbages following reports that formaldehyde was used on vegetables in China. The SFA stated it is monitoring the situation closely as part of its food safety monitoring programme. This move follows similar actions by South Korea, which stepped up inspections of Chinese cabbage imports, and Taiwan, which checked for potentially tainted produce.
The scandal began after a video circulated on Douyin by an environmental blogger named Qige. The footage showed workers in Kangbao county, located in northern Hebei province, dipping cabbages into a solution to keep them fresh for two to three days before transporting them to Suqian city in Jiangsu province. Local authorities in China confirmed on August 22 that formaldehyde had been illegally used to preserve the vegetables during transportation. China has since carried out nationwide inspections of perishable vegetables.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen classified as such by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is used in the manufacture of plastics and resins, and is also used by morgues to preserve dead bodies.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean outlet focused on the regional response and provided specific details regarding the source of the viral video.
- Centre-right
- The center-right lean outlet emphasized the industrial nature of the chemical by mentioning its use in morgues.
Sources
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