Toxic vegetables expose industry loopholes

Updated: 2012-05-07 16:43

JINAN - Reports of formaldehyde-tainted Chinese cabbage in East China's Shandong province, the country's largest vegetable production base, have exposed some clandestine market practices and triggered a new wave of food safety concerns. 

Previous reports said the formaldehyde solution was also used on seafood and mushrooms.

Formaldehyde, used as a disinfectant and embalming fluid, was declared a known human carcinogen by the US National Toxicology Program last year. It is also a skin, eye and respiratory irritant.