[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Recently, as the video of China's "Naked Kimchi" spread, raising hygiene concerns about Chinese food, now "dyed tangerines" and "dyed green onions" have emerged.
On the 1st, local media including Wangyi in China reported that recently, "dyed tangerines" colored with additives have become a controversy in China.
According to the report, a Chinese person named A bought tangerines at a traditional market near his hometown last month for 3.5 yuan (about 610 won) per jin (400g). At the time of purchase, the tangerines were much larger than those usually seen in traditional markets and looked fresh. However, after returning home and starting to eat the tangerines, A soon felt that something was wrong with their condition. The flesh was all dried up and difficult to swallow, as if the tangerines were spoiled.
It turned out that the tangerines A bought were "defective tangerines" painted red by the fruit shop owner to deceive consumers. A took out a napkin and wiped the tangerines, and a lot of red dye came off. He expressed frustration, saying, "If I had tasted them first before buying, this would not have happened."
According to Wangyi reporters who examined the tangerines directly, traces of red dye remained in every small hole on the peel. Some tangerines even had dye that had not yet dried. Such defective tangerines were indiscriminately distributed in the market.
As the controversy spread, on Chinese social networking services (SNS) such as Weibo, reports from netizens continued, showing hands dyed red after eating "dyed tangerines," along with comments like "The tangerines smell of chemical substances," and "When I soaked the tangerines in water, the water turned red."
Recently, posts reporting "I also bought 'dyed tangerines'" have been following one after another on Weibo. / Photo by Weibo
In response, a local market supervision and administration official said, "The tangerines A bought were in a considerably aged state," adding, "While the use of chemicals to maintain freshness is possible, dyeing with coloring agents is strictly prohibited." He advised, "When buying tangerines, besides tasting them, first check their appearance. Be cautious of tangerines with vivid and unnaturally red peel colors."
However, netizens expressed frustration, saying, "We can't trust market vendors. How are we supposed to buy fruit from now on?" Some netizens testified, "I have also seen dyed green onions and lettuce."
In fact, recently in China, cases of dyed fruits and dyed vegetables have been occurring frequently. In January, a large quantity of "dyed green onions" was found in Guizhou Province, China, causing controversy. At that time, a netizen who exposed the "dyed green onions" posted on SNS, "When I wiped the green onions bought at the market with tissue, dye came off," expressing disbelief. However, the vendor selling the green onions explained, "The green onions' color deepened due to preservatives," which further fueled the controversy.
Additionally, recently, the fact of "China's naked pickled kimchi" shocked domestic netizens. On the 11th, a video rapidly spread on domestic SNS showing a naked man stirring cabbages fully submerged in muddy water in a pit. The rusty crane was also buried in the pit where the cabbages were being pickled, adding to the shock.
As the video spread and a "China kimchi phobia" phenomenon appeared domestically, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety clarified, "The cabbages in the video are not for export kimchi." However, a Chinese person who posted the video on Weibo last June claimed, "I am the excavator operator in the video, and the cabbages you eat were pickled by me," adding, "Such pickled cabbages are also exported to countries including Korea," causing consumer anxiety.
A scene of pit-buried cabbage pickling in the northeastern region of China. / Photo by Internet Community Capture
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