Tourists Warned Of Bacteria Contamination At Food Shops

[george]

Tourists warned of bacteria contamination at food shops

BANGKOK: -- Coliform bacteria have contaminated utensils at many food shops around tourist attractions, according to the Health Department.

"The contamination can cause diarrhoea and food poisoning," the department's academic Anocha Charoenpornkijwattana said Sunday.

According to her, the information came from the Health Department's study on hygienic standards at 12 attractions across the country. As more than half of food shops in these attractions have participated in the department's Clean Food Good Taste project, the study focused on the non-participating food shops only.

"We have detected coliform-bacteria contamination on their plates, ice tongs, cooks' hands and waiters' hands," Anocha said.

-- The Nation 2007-06-17

[lazeeboy]

Tourists warned of bacteria contamination at food shops

BANGKOK: -- Coliform bacteria have contaminated utensils at many food shops around tourist attractions, according to the Health Department.

"The contamination can cause diarrhoea and food poisoning," the department's academic Anocha Charoenpornkijwattana said Sunday.

According to her, the information came from the Health Department's study on hygienic standards at 12 attractions across the country. As more than half of food shops in these attractions have participated in the department's Clean Food Good Taste project, the study focused on the non-participating food shops only.

"We have detected coliform-bacteria contamination on their plates, ice tongs, cooks' hands and waiters' hands," Anocha said.

-- The Nation 2007-06-17

must be in there food as well then ,eating at home tonight after that

[TAWP]

Coliform bacteria have contaminated utensils at many food shops around tourist attractions, according to the Health Department.

Coliform bacterias didn't walk around and contaminate the stuff - the people working there that didn't wash their hands after taking a shit did.

[cclub75]

Nothing more efficient than a good Coliform bacteria to get a fast... colon cleansing ! And 100 % natural furthermore.

[Tony Clifton]

Many places wash dishes with huge bowls sitting on the ground. I once saw a dog licking itself and then get up to have a drink out of the rinse bowl.

[brianwl]

Funny thing is in all my years or traveling around the world and eating in road side stands in "third world" countries, the only time I've gotten sick was at McDonalds in Panama.

Last time I ever at one of those anywhere outside the US. Rarely eat at one here too.

[bingobongo]

what would you get for dessert? hepatitis in either A, B, or C flavor?

[observer21]

Funny thing is in all my years or traveling around the world and eating in road side stands in "third world" countries, the only time I've gotten sick was at McDonalds in Panama.

Last time I ever at one of those anywhere outside the US. Rarely eat at one here too.

Road side stalls are usualy ok, because the food is usualy cooked infront of you.  All of the times i have been poisend has been in bigger usually well established restaurants.

Still cheap labour working in the kitchens- and thai toilets arn't what you would call

hygeneic.  

[Guest RealEstateBroker]

I guess I am just really lucky, I eat off the street for the last 10 years or so about 300 times

a year as I only live in Thailand half the time and usually average a couple of really good food

reactions maybe twice a year. Now, the other half of the year I never eat on the street as I am

in a location in the US that does not allow any food on the street so I only eat in the fast food

joints and the typical chains....I average a really good case of the runs etc. maybe one or two

times a year. I guess in Thailand I have built up what ever it takes to avoid bacteria problems ??

This is more of a question to the experts out there as I really have not a clue.

Experts...........

[TopDogger]

Next they'll be putting out guidelines telling chefs & waitresses not to wipe their asses with their hands and to wash them after taking a dump.... I sometimes wonder whats taught in schools here

[observer21]

I guess I am just really lucky, I eat off the street for the last 10 years or so about 300 times

a year as I only live in Thailand half the time and usually average a couple of really good food

reactions maybe twice a year. Now, the other half of the year I never eat on the street as I am

in a location in the US that does not allow any food on the street so I only eat in the fast food

joints and the typical chains....I average a really good case of the runs etc. maybe one or two

times a year. I guess in Thailand I have built up what ever it takes to avoid bacteria problems ??

This is more of a question to the experts out there as I really have not a clue.

Experts...........

Well if you have a reaction 2 times in Thailand and 2 times in the US i would say you

have all the symptoms of  - 2 time syndrome

PS  very impressed how you can recall eating off the street approx 300 times a year,

thats roughly twice a day (over the 6 months in Thailand) - definatley looks like a bad case of 2 time syndrome

Edited June 17, 2007 by observer21

[Cyberstar]

Many places wash dishes with huge bowls sitting on the ground. I once saw a dog licking itself and then get up to have a drink out of the rinse bowl.

If those small and inferior creatures can survive - what could possibly be the problem for humans?

[Jamie]

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of Coliform bacteria they found. Not all coliform bacteria come from human/animal waster (fecal coliform), and not all are dangerous (such as E. coli). Sometimes it's not an easy determination if you are doing one of those simple swab type tests etc. If you do a total coliform test, you may get some innaccuracies compared to just testing for E. coli. Even then, I've had a difficult time determining if a bacteria colony is E. coli after incubation.

[The Skipper]

Maybe washing dishes/utinsels is the gutter has somthing to do with it?

Just a guess.

[mellow1]

How can people keep their hands clean, after using the toilet,when there is no soap available in the bathroom?Not to mention no toilet paper.

Also,everyone always seems to have a finger stuck in their nose.What do they do with all the snots?

I never see tissue or snot rags being used.Where does it go?

[leisurely]

The worst thing I ever saw was in the Silom area, a small child came running out from somewhere with faeces running down his legs, his mum wiped him with something and carried on cooking.

[Scott]

I usually avoid eating on the street, so I seldom have problems. If I am hungry enough, however, I do it.

I guess my main concern is with the very lax and inexpensive hygiene that is lacking. I (as have many others) seen all the things they do, that they shouldn't.

By the way, I am usually not concerned so much about the food being bad, but it is the utensils that are unclean and contaminated.

[funfun]

How can people keep their hands clean, after using the toilet,when there is no soap available in the bathroom?Not to mention no toilet paper.

Also,everyone always seems to have a finger stuck in their nose.What do they do with all the snots?

I never see tissue or snot rags being used.Where does it go?

its called falang pie! y u not know!

[Tony Clifton]

How can people keep their hands clean, after using the toilet,when there is no soap available in the bathroom?Not to mention no toilet paper.

Also,everyone always seems to have a finger stuck in their nose.What do they do with all the snots?

I never see tissue or snot rags being used.Where does it go?

The local modern hospital took the precaution to stick a poster in the lobby washrooms showing you how to properly wash your hands. No soap there as well but a filthy rag everyone uses to dry their hands after washing them.

I'll bet there's lots of coliform flying around coming directly from all the soi dogs taking dumps everywhere. Dog poops, sun dries up poop in hours, poop gets crushed and pulverised, powdered poop is scattered by the wind and finds it's way to your mouth.

There's a portion of road near here, quite busy, badly damaged, and the ashphalt has been replaced with crushed stone and sand. One furniture business along that section has hired a man to spray water all day and keep the dust down. His water source? The klong that receives black water from nearby housing. That section of the road litteraly smells like a septic tank Thousands of motorcyclists and pedestrians go by every day breathing it in. That can't be good can't it?

[paulsmithson]

I live in the sticks and am appalled that the septic tanks I see are so poorly constructed and contaminate the ground water and the krong. I have even seen one woman here throwing a sheet that an old lady had shit on into the krong ---then washing the dishes in the same water--It is all down to education and awareness.

[markr]

Quick someone call weho!

[SamuiJens]

Funny thing is in all my years or traveling around the world and eating in road side stands in "third world" countries, the only time I've gotten sick was at McDonalds in Panama.

Last time I ever at one of those anywhere outside the US. Rarely eat at one here too.

Road side stalls are usualy ok, because the food is usualy cooked infront of you. All of the times i have been poisend has been in bigger usually well established restaurants.

Still cheap labour working in the kitchens- and thai toilets arn't what you would call

hygeneic.

Very true, and to talk about McDonalds, in 69, my friends and I got sick, and found out later that the kids working there got "back" at the "lucky" kids by spitting & snotting in the burgers &;bah. To this day it is still being done, and I gave up eating there in 69, of course

[octagon]

I'll bet there's lots of coliform flying around coming directly from all the soi dogs taking dumps everywhere. Dog poops, sun dries up poop in hours, poop gets crushed and pulverised, powdered poop is scattered by the wind and finds it's way to your mouth.

I've always wondered where all the poop goes.