Formaldehyde is a strong-smelling, colorless gas used in making building materials and many household products. ... Formaldehyde can be added as a preservative to food, but it can also be produced as the result of cooking and smoking. Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in the environment.

What foods have formaldehyde as a preservative?

It's also naturally occurring in many foods. Fruits like apples, bananas, grapes, and plums; vegetables like onions, carrots, and spinach; and even meats like seafood, beef, and poultry contain formaldehyde.

What formaldehyde is used for?

In addition, formaldehyde is commonly used as an industrial fungicide, germicide, and disinfectant, and as a preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories. Formaldehyde also occurs naturally in the environment. It is produced in small amounts by most living organisms as part of normal metabolic processes.