Must Read 41 percent of vegetables in Thai markets exceed contamination standards

[DrPhibes]

19 minutes ago, law ling said:

It's not just the fruit and veges themselves. Residue spray drifts off into local communities for inhalation. Livestock are likewise contaminated as they consume it through their foods and from their water as the chemicals leach into the water table and rivers.

It's not just farm chemicals. Contamination also comes from antibiotic overuse. Some fish famously now contain dangerous levels of mercury. Etc. etc.

Not-fully-digested, or improperly discarded, contraceptive pills are now said to be putting unacceptable levels of female hormones into the environment, endangering male health.

All this was identified decades ago in the book "Silent Spring" - it dealt with the then big issues of DDT etc, but the principles remain the same.

Silent Spring, that's a title I have not heard for a while.  Was required reading along with Ecotopia and Future Shock in the 8th grade at my school.  The essence of Future Shock I see these days where technology advancing so quick, the culture can't keep up introducing stresses and stratification of the population similar to wealth.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, nikmar said:

those 7 11 burgers and toasted sandwiches never looked more appetizing

Does the list of ingredients include: now with government-approved added paraquat?

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, davehowden said:

"They were sent for analysis by ISO-17025 certified laboratories in the United Kingdom."

 

Why, worried about fake results from Thai laboratories ?

What a pity UK (ISO) Laboratories were not involved in the DNA analysis results against the 2 Burmese lads!

[stanleycoin]

50 minutes ago, Sonhia said:

Health and safety?  No!

Hygiene?  No!

Pollution?  Yes!

Filth and Dirt?  Yes!

 

How often have you seen a food vendor wash their hands? 

Use protective clothing, gloves, hair net etc? Not that often would be my guess.

 

Paradise!!!!

Not very often. but,  don't see whats the problem.  

 

[dick dasterdly]

31 minutes ago, huangnon said:

What's going to kill us all this week then? ????

 

If it's any consolation, a lot of the Paraquat used in S.E. Asia is produced in the UK. From my home town. Has been for decades.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/aug/22/uk-condemned-shocking-export-deadly-weedkiller-poorer-countries-paraquat
 

I think the point is that most of us would prefer not to be poisoned by our food!

[geoffbezoz]

4 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Does the list of ingredients include: now with government-approved added paraquat?

When I first read the headline I mis-read it as 41% of the government are vegetables ????

[stanleycoin]

Think they have been feeding those energy cards to the fish as well. ????

 

 

[Lacessit]

Human life expectancy has increased significantly in the past 20 - 30 years, as has quality of life. If I had been born 150 years ago. I'd be well and truly dead now.

As I am now 76 yo, the level of chemicals in the food I am eating is not high on my list of priorities.

[natway09]

What about the imported stuff from China ?

Wash well & your vegetables

[Yinn]

3 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Surprised they can get hold of 12 banned chemicals, I wonder what they are?

 

 carbendazim, carbofuran, methomyl, Boscalid, Ethirimol, Fenhexamid, Fluxapyroxad, Isopyrazam, Metrafenone, Proquinazid, Pyrimethanil and Quinoxyfen. 

 

Happy to help you again Mr Orton.

[FarFlungFalang]

12 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

When I first read the headline I mis-read it as 41% of the government are vegetables ????

That's being unkind to vegetables.

[bluesofa]

12 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

When I first read the headline I mis-read it as 41% of the government are vegetables ????

Looks like it's a conservative estimate then.

[Isaanbiker]

Not only India uses human excrement as a fertilizer for veggies and other stuff.

 

   Most villages have under earth silos for the human trash and trucks are called to pump it out when they're full. Then they use the same shi_e for the fields. 

 

 Be careful and wash your veggies and fruits carefully! Should you have some veggies now, enjoy them and don't worry when they smell and taste a bit "fishy"!

[hargri]

We tend to wash fruit, vegetables and herbs in a potassium permanganate solution. Soak it for 10 minutes or so then rinse off. Not saying it'll get rid of everything but there's plenty online to demonstrate it helps. Bought mine in local 7-11.

[stanleycoin]

21 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

When I first read the headline I mis-read it as 41% of the government are vegetables ????

The rest are fruits and nuts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bluesofa]

10 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

34 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

When I first read the headline I mis-read it as 41% of the government are vegetables ????

The rest are fruits and nuts !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

That only goes to show how dairy dare he milk it.

[dick dasterdly]

26 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Human life expectancy has increased significantly in the past 20 - 30 years, as has quality of life. If I had been born 150 years ago. I'd be well and truly dead now.

As I am now 76 yo, the level of chemicals in the food I am eating is not high on my list of priorities.

"Human life expectancy has increased significantly in the past 20 - 30 years, as has quality of life."

 

Some sort of evidence would be appreciated to support this assertion.

 

Why did you then go on to say "If I had been born 150 years ago. I'd be well and truly dead now."  Surely you should have continued 'talking' about the last 20-30 years?

 

Having said this, I spent most of my adult life eating mostly organic food - so have a LESSER problem with being poisoned nowadays too ????.

[cheshiremusicman]

4 hours ago, Benmart said:

I ozonate all my fruit and veggies, even those purchased in traditional stores. Don't bother postulating the negatives of ozonation. My choice.

I understand, correct me if I'm wrong, that ozonation will merely kill off any bacteria present on the fruit or veggies and is very effective in this regard. How does it have any effect on the contamination inherent in the fruit or veg being treated?

[Caldera]

In related good news from Thailand: 59% of vegetables in Thai markets are safe for human consumption.

[phka]

5 hours ago, RobboR said:

I never eat salad or any raw veg here. Only buy imported fruit.

Any veg I do buy I peel and cook, which apparently gets rid of most of the contamination.

Won't get rid of systemic pestercide that is taken up through the roots

[cheshiremusicman]

2 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Oh that arsenic.Well yes there is another arsenic it's the "little bit that's not enough to kill you" kind of arsenic.So let me rephrase my question to see if I can get the appropriate response.How does the arsenic you mentioned in your post get in the rice as we grow rice and we don't knowingly add arsenic to the rice,I realise some may enter from upstream in the water but I was wondering if you would share your knowledge instead of .......

I read recently that the arsenic in the rice is derived from the soil/water the rice is growing in. This is why it is a very good idea to soak the rice in about 5 changes of water before cooking it. I seem to remember that the author said this reduced the arsenic level in the rice by some 90%. Long term arsenic consumption is said to impair brain function from a medical point of view; but again this is only what I have read but I am sure you can google this subject and read it for yourself.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, Caldera said:

In related good news from Thailand: 59% of vegetables in Thai markets are safe for human consumption.

Congratulations!

Your application to work for the TAT marketing team has been approved!

[BoganInParasite]

We moved into our new house in Pua in February and have had mixed success in growing vegetables organically. Great success on lettuce, purple eggplants, long beans and a bit on tomatoes. We now have nets to keep the bugs out and that is helping. Really want to get some form of leafy greens growing well.

[30la]

No wonder, just see how much poison is spread in the fields without any sense and without limits.
Continue to poison yourself and poison others, it's all for the gain, not yours but all the poison factories of this world!

[Tongjaw]

3 hours ago, miamiman123 said:

Soak all for 14 mins in baking soda....likely 80% removal 

 

Wife grows a lot of our veggies, no pesticides so they are smaller than ones you buy in supermarkets. She washes all fruit and veg, even the ones she grows. To wash them she uses 1 part plain white vinegar to 4 parts water and let soak for 20-30 minutes. Haven’t heard about the baking soda method but will check it out.  

[Time to grow]

Admiring a neighbors beautiful garden farm, we asked if they sprayed pesticides on their vegetables. They replied proudly that they never spray anything, they prefer to pour the pesticides on.

[Time to grow]

14 minutes ago, BoganInParasite said:

We moved into our new house in Pua in February and have had mixed success in growing vegetables organically. Great success on lettuce, purple eggplants, long beans and a bit on tomatoes. We now have nets to keep the bugs out and that is helping. Really want to get some form of leafy greens growing well.

A great way to produce leafy greens is with aquaponics. I have built an aquaponics garden in the Nakhon Sawan area if your in the neighborhood, stop by. The produce grown is to an even higher standard than organic because you cant add anything even remotely harmful without jeopardizing your fish. By the way, the fish are free of antibiotics and other nasty additives found in commercially raised fish.

[johnarth]

well done the people that sent the veg and fruit to UK that has stopped the general from saying the tests are lies but no doubt he will come up with something he might even eat an apple on tv but this needs to hit tv news big time or you can forget about it

[Alan Michael]

6 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

 Other than banning those chemicals and enforcing the ban, there is nothing to be done about it. Farmers here will continue to do what they do. No sense of caution or empathy. Unless of course they can be shown there is more money to be made organically. Most farmers here learn about how and what to spray from their dad, uncle, neighbor. None of them have been through a course. They wrap a cloth around their face to spray but use bare hands on the nozzle. My father in law sprays for neighbors, does it for days on end. No precautions, done it for years. This year he has hardly been off the couch, for health issues.

In my 30 years of being a gardener and not being made aware of the danger of the chemicals that I used all the time such as Malathion, Copper Sulphate, Glyphosphate, fungicides etc etc etc and never wearing a mask. I am still healthy and have escaped the poisons. I also cut up and busted up countless boards of insulation pipes, gutters, roofing tiles of asbestos in my time.

There was no warning of the dangers and consider myself lucky. There is no excuse now.

[FarFlungFalang]

27 minutes ago, cheshiremusicman said:

I read recently that the arsenic in the rice is derived from the soil/water the rice is growing in. This is why it is a very good idea to soak the rice in about 5 changes of water before cooking it. I seem to remember that the author said this reduced the arsenic level in the rice by some 90%. Long term arsenic consumption is said to impair brain function from a medical point of view; but again this is only what I have read but I am sure you can google this subject and read it for yourself.

I did indeed google this and found similar info and after racking my brain I think I vaguely remember this but was not aware until I googled it after Beggars suggestion.Fortunately I do wash rice about four or five times before cooking but that was to try and get rid of as many of the weavels as I could not arsenic.It has just occurred to me just now after reading your comment about the impaired brain function that Thailand seems to suffer so much of it and that this could be the reason!