[Bridgester]

2012-05-07 16:30 (Xinhua)
Jinan, Shandong province

Toxic vegetables expose hidden practices
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. Reports of the toxic vegetables appeared on the web over the weekend,
alleging that vegetable dealers in Qingzhou were seen spraying a formaldehyde solution on Chinese cabbage to keep the produce
fresh during long rides to faraway markets.

The reports sparked public anger and prolonged the seemingly unending discussion on what, if anything, is safe to eat.
In their many visits to croplands and wholesale centers, Xinhua reporters found that using a formaldehyde solution has been a
popular, unspoken method for keeping vegetables fresh for at least three years and was not limited to Qingzhou. Meanwhile,
police in Qingzhou have opened an investigation into the allegations as the reports on toxic vegetables continue to spread. Meanwhile,
The local government in Dongxia township has launched a vegetable safety overhaul involving 46 agricultural production bases, 80
dealers and 400 cabbage farmers.

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. It is still unclear how the toxin-using dealers should be penalized, as
no such conditions exist in relevant laws and regulations. China's law on farm produce safety stipulates that the use of preservatives
should "conform to relevant technical standards of the state," but fails to define what preservatives, or how much, are acceptable.

[Zvmwissq]

lianbeng noted formaldehyde is used in pathological labs to preserve dead bodies and organs lah.