answer:You’re in Indonesia, then, right? It’s also banned in the US as a food additive. Borax will change the pH level… but pH meters are expensive and without a ‘control’ the reading would be useless. Formaline stinks, so you should be able to smell it?? My only knowledge of formaline is in regards to dentistry. Borax isn’t that poisonous in small doses and you’d be surprised what it shows up in. It has been linked to liver cancer when LARGE amounts are eaten over 5–10 years. I would never give children under 12 anything that has borax in it (skin creams or food) but it isn’t as harmful as some make it out to be. If you have liver or kidney issues, you should avoid it, but otherwise, an average, healthy adult can eliminate this from their system in the small doses used in SOME food. If the food contains a lot of borax or boron, it will turn green when set alight. We were just discussing this in another thread. Also, if you set some of the food out and let it dry out in the sun and it contains borax, it may show a white-ish powdery surface (if it contains enough, that is.) Don’t buy any processed food would be my suggestion. Many many foods from China is likely to have it in it.