How to Tell if Cabbages Have Been Sprayed with Formaldehyde
Recently, multiple media outlets have reported that some farmers spray formaldehyde on cabbages to preserve them and prevent them from heating up, developing red roots, and rotting after being stacked together for two or three days during long-distance transportation. It has been reported that a large jug of formaldehyde (about 2.5 liters) costs only 7 yuan. After diluting it with water, half a jug can be sprayed on a 10-ton truck of cabbages. Why are spring cabbages sprayed with formaldehyde for preservation? How can you tell if a cabbage has been sprayed with formaldehyde? And what should you do if you buy a cabbage that has been sprayed with formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde May Cause Hepatic Coma
Regarding the "formaldehyde preservation for cabbages" incident that has recently been exposed, experts have stated that currently, only spring cabbages during long-distance transportation might be sprayed with preservatives, and no cases or reports of using formaldehyde for preservation have been found or heard of for other fruits and vegetables in the market.
Generally, the preservation method for spring cabbages during transport relies mainly on refrigeration, such as using refrigerated containers for mechanical cooling or placing ice blocks in the crates. However, due to economic considerations, some unscrupulous vendors resort to the abhorrent method of spraying formaldehyde. Experts explain that formaldehyde does have a preservative effect and can be used in agriculture for seed soaking and disinfection, with a concentration of only 0.1%-0.5%. However, they have never heard of formaldehyde being used for spraying on mature cabbages.
Formaldehyde is a gas under normal conditions and soluble in water. A 35%-40% aqueous solution of formaldehyde is what we commonly know as formalin solution.
This colorless, pungent, and irritating gas, formaldehyde, can damage human skin, respiratory tract, and internal organs. It can also anesthetize the central nervous system. After inhaling high concentrations of formaldehyde, the respiratory tract can be severely irritated, causing edema, eye irritation, headaches, and it can also trigger bronchial asthma, or lead to pulmonary edema, hepatic coma, renal failure, etc. The World Health Organization believes that formaldehyde can cause deformities and tumor growth, and long-term exposure will lead to gene mutations. To remove formaldehyde, washing must be thorough
Currently, large agricultural wholesale markets do not have mandatory testing indicators for formaldehyde in their pesticide residue inspections. It is recommended that when purchasing and selecting spring cabbages, pay attention to the following: cabbages sprayed with formaldehyde will have a noticeable pungent and eye-stinging smell. If a cabbage is left for a long time and you cut it vertically from the middle, and find that the inside is rotten while the outside is not, it may have been sprayed with formaldehyde solution.
If you unfortunately buy a cabbage that has been sprayed with formaldehyde, you can discard the outermost few layers of leaves and also remove more of the cabbage stalk parts. Soak the remaining head in water for a longer period, as formaldehyde itself is water-soluble. Prolonged soaking followed by rinsing with running water may help dilute the formaldehyde content.