The first part of a Daily Shincho feature examined major manufacturers’ use of ingredients from China. It reported that sulfur-bleached bamboo shoots at a processing plant in Guangdong Province allegedly contained sulfur dioxide at several dozen times the permitted limit, while cabbage in Hebei Province was reportedly found to have been soaked in formaldehyde. The detection of coloring agents in stem lettuce in Gansu Province was also reported in September.
This feature is described as questioning major manufacturers that sell frozen, chilled and canned foods about their use of ingredients from China, using a list naming the companies involved. Against a backdrop of successive reports concerning food safety risks in China, the article says it aims to highlight the diversification of current suppliers and the reality of how ingredients are handled.
Specifically, it reports that bamboo shoots bleached with sulfur were allegedly found at a processing plant in Guangdong Province, and that the claims spread through footage from the site and comments by an online broadcaster. It also relayed information that cabbage soaked in formaldehyde had been found in Hebei Province, and summarized a series of similar food safety incidents reported recently. Another case, the detection of coloring agents in fresh vegetables in Gansu Province, was cited in September.
The article introduces ideas such as “not eating the same thing” as a way to avoid food safety risks in China. Comments from overseas media outlets and journalists provide additional context on local industry conditions and the background to the reporting. The article is positioned as the first part of the feature, with further reports expected.