No evidence of formaldehyde contamination in tested cabbages from China: SFA
The Singapore Food Agency says it will continue monitoring and testing food products sold in Singapore and advises consumers to wash vegetables thoroughly before eating.
File photo of a woman buying a cabbage at a market in Shenyang, in China's northeast Liaoning province, on Jun 10, 2026. (File photo: CN-STR/AFP)
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SINGAPORE: Tests on cabbages and other vegetables imported from China found no evidence of formaldehyde contamination, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Friday (Sep 4).
"The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has tested imports of cabbages and other vegetables from China, as part of our stepped-up surveillance following reports of cabbages from Hebei, China, being treated with formalin (a formaldehyde solution)," said the agency in response to CNA queries.
SFA said its test results found no evidence of formalin contamination in the produce tested.
China last month carried out nationwide inspections of perishable vegetables after authorities in Hebei province confirmed that formaldehyde - a known carcinogen - had been illegally used to preserve cabbages during transportation.
The scandal emerged when a Chinese environmental blogger, known by his handle Qige, posted a video on Douyin, claiming that some workers in Tunken township in Hebei’s Kangbao county had dipped cabbages in an alleged formaldehyde solution before loading them for transportation.
SFA said it has a food sampling and testing programme as part of its science-based risk management approach to ensure food products comply with Singapore’s food regulations.
"We will continue to conduct monitoring, sampling, and testing to ensure all food products sold, including vegetables from China, are safe for consumption," said SFA.
The agency advised consumers to wash their hands before and after handling vegetables, and to thoroughly wash vegetables that are not ready to eat.
