Objective To analyze the detection of food additives and contaminants in Yueyang pickled vegetable products and propose quality control measures.Methods In 2024, a survey was conducted to test food additives and contaminants in pickled vegetable products from 10 districts in Yueyang. A total of 5 712 batches of pickled vegetables were sampled. Specifically, 10 batches are found to be non-compliant, resulting in a non-compliance rate of 0.18%, indicating overall good quality. Regarding food additives, 10 types are detected in the products, with detection rates ranging from 0% to 73.49% and an excess rate from 0% to 1.86%. The most commonly misused additive is the colorant lemon yellow, which had an excess rate of 1.86%, followed by sulfur dioxide residue, with an excess rate of 1.02%. In terms of contaminant residues, while the detection rate for contaminants in Yueyang pickled vegetables is relatively high, no instances of exceeding the safety limits are found.Results Food additives are commonly used in Yueyang pickled vegetables, and there are isolated instances of non-compliant use of these additives, but overall the residue levels of contaminants are safe.Conclusion It is recommended that regulatory authorities establish a quality control system for food additives in pickled vegetable products, standardize production practices for both businesses and individual vendors, and promote the healthy development of the pickled vegetable industry to ensure consumer safety.