Siamburi

[bradiston]

A mate reported that, during a recent visit, much of the fresh produce, cheese, butter etc, was covered and not for sale. This was apparently as a result of a visit by Thai FDA regarding imported chilled and frozen foods now requiring registration with the FDA.

 

Details are a bit sketchy I have to admit. Anyone more info on this?

[Ralf001]

they sell fresh produce ?

[bradiston]

9 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

they sell fresh produce ?

Well, cheese and butter, and a whole raft of frozen foods. Fish, meat etc, to which this "order" applied. I meant as opposed to tins, packets, bottles etc etc.

[couchpotato]

There is another thread on here or another site that the owner has given a very good accounting of why they are closed and the reasons why.

[bradiston]

18 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

There is another thread on here or another site that the owner has given a very good accounting of why they are closed and the reasons why.

Yeah? Any links?

[Gobbler]

I just got a delivery from Siamburi this afternoon. 

[couchpotato]

8 minutes ago, Gobbler said:

I just got a delivery from Siamburi this afternoon. 

Yes they are doing deliveries only apparently. They have been closed most of this week.

 

[digbeth]

Thai FDA approval is always required, some supermarkets that import their own stuff might have a few itms with no Thai label and FDA numbers on, usually for much cheaper than the ones that's been through Thai distributor/importer They've got away with it if the numbers are small enough and they're relatively low profile in case of supermarkets importing their own, the odd container every now and then or mates bringing suitcase full of stuff over

 

but when your business is built around importing stuff.... 

[Ralf001]

found this on googles.

 

 

 

[soi3eddie]

..."a formal complaint by a member of the public". Read Competitor or disgruntled Thai trader.

 

Do Thai markets need to have FDA approval on the festering and fly ridden meat they sell with no refridgeration?

 

Hope that normal trade at Siamsburis will resume ASAP.

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by soi3eddie

[scubascuba3]

Enforcing regulations here seems a rare thing, probably a disgruntled competitor

Edited 9 hours ago by scubascuba3

[jacko45k]

Must admit I visited an Expat shop in Bong Koch area recently and was surprised to see rather empty shelves and a low stock of cheeses available. Suggested the place was running down. 

[digbeth]

many pies companies in Pattaya manage to get FDA approval and sell to supermarket chains all the way in Bangkok, so the poor sole traders selling from their home kitchen is no excuse, 

 

if you sell at a restaurant or market without FDA number, that's fine, if you sell it at a bar that's also fine, but you can't pack it for retail sales without label, ingredients, having your premises inspected

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Must admit I visited an Expat shop in Bong Koch area recently and was surprised to see rather empty shelves and a low stock of cheeses available. Suggested the place was running down. 

Fever? I bought some cheese in Siamsburys the other day 699 baht a kg, rarely have it these days

[jacko45k]

33 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Fever? I bought some cheese in Siamsburys the other day 699 baht a kg, rarely have it these days

Yes.

Although they may be getting some competition from Big-CX of late as I saw Batchelors Peas, Branston Baked Beans, Yorkshire Teabags and Robinsons Cordials in there.  They have never competed on cheese though from an English perspective. Siambury's is out of the way for me.  

Edited 6 hours ago by jacko45k

[mahjongguy]

Business as normal yesterday (Thursday).

[MarkBR]

2 hours ago, digbeth said:

many pies companies in Pattaya manage to get FDA approval and sell to supermarket chains all the way in Bangkok, so the poor sole traders selling from their home kitchen is no excuse, 

 

if you sell at a restaurant or market without FDA number, that's fine, if you sell it at a bar that's also fine, but you can't pack it for retail sales without label, ingredients, having your premises inspected

I would assume preventative public health main reason for this situation.  You have FDA approval for a large food item then open up to repackage into a larger number of smaller food items, plenty of opportunity for unwelcome organisms to get in (Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli 0157, and numerous others cause problems including death).  Inspections are sensible to see if premises adhere to basic public health practices.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, MarkBR said:

I would assume preventative public health main reason for this situation.  You have FDA approval for a large food item then open up to repackage into a larger number of smaller food items, plenty of opportunity for unwelcome organisms to get in (Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli 0157, and numerous others cause problems including death).  Inspections are sensible to see if premises adhere to basic public health practices.

but yet street good vendors leave raw meat on display no problem

[redwood1]

2 hours ago, MarkBR said:

I would assume preventative public health main reason for this situation.  You have FDA approval for a large food item then open up to repackage into a larger number of smaller food items, plenty of opportunity for unwelcome organisms to get in (Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli 0157, and numerous others cause problems including death).  Inspections are sensible to see if premises adhere to basic public health practices.

 

Get out of here....If Cheese was such a fragile flower open to infestation with  bad bacteria without some BS ,FDA stamp of approval...

 

You know what?

 

Every poster on this forum would already be DEAD....From cheese poisoning.....

 

If the FDA cared about peoples health they would 100% ban MSG....

Edited 3 hours ago by redwood1

[NowNow]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Fever? I bought some cheese in Siamsburys the other day 699 baht a kg, rarely have it these days

 

Which cheese did you buy @ 699 baht per kg? 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

4 minutes ago, NowNow said:

 

Which cheese did you buy @ 699 baht per kg? 

 

 

Some small piece of cheddar so they put the price right up

[MarkBR]

6 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 

Get the F out of here....If Cheese was such a fragile flower open to infestation with  bad bacteria without some BS ,FDA stamp of approval...

 

You know what?

 

Every poster on this forum would already be DEAD....From cheese poisoning.....

 

If the FDA cared about peoples health they would 100% ban MSG....

Depends on the cheese, mature cheese (due to the relevant microbial consortia destroying bad bacteria - hence mature cheeses good reputation for being a food product over thousands of years) are quite resistant to being contaminated by bad bacteria due to excessive quanities of Lactobacilli - in most fermented foods.  However, short life cheese can be contaminated by bad bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes which kills, also by Mycobacterium bovis (a source of tuberculosis).

Public health measures are to protect.  Older people, such as many of the Asean Now members, would be quite vulnerable to bad food poisoning from contaminated food.

[norfolkandchance]

7 minutes ago, NowNow said:

 

Which cheese did you buy @ 699 baht per kg? 

 

 

The Pantry. Mainland Vintage. B299. 500 gm.

[NowNow]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Some small piece of cheddar so they put the price right up

 

I thought that it seemed a bit expensive for your taste. I expected it to be an English cheddar and know that you can buy 500 grams of Mainland cheese for around 260 baht. 699 denoted something a bit better. Seems not.

I used to buy a lot of cheese(together with other items) from Siamburi's. Especially when they had good deals on Greek Feta. Though once they sold out, they didn't come back in. Stopped making the journey after a while, especially as my cupboards are full of higher quality imported items now.

[NowNow]

5 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

The Pantry. Mainland Vintage. B299. 500 gm.

 

How was that related to my question? 😊 You can buy that more cheaply at Makro and possibly Friendship. Though if I lived close to The Pantry it's not a bad price. Though I'm currently stocked up with Somerset Vintage Cheddar

[petermik]

2 minutes ago, NowNow said:

 

 

I used to buy a lot of cheese(together with other items) from Siamburi's. Especially when they had good deals on Greek Feta. Though once they sold out, they didn't come back in. Stopped making the journey after a while, especially as my cupboards are full of higher quality imported items now.

Lucky you....

[NowNow]

Just now, petermik said:

Lucky you....

 

Yes, I have friends.

[bradiston]

7 minutes ago, NowNow said:

 

I thought that it seemed a bit expensive for your taste. I expected it to be an English cheddar and know that you can buy 500 grams of Mainland cheese for around 260 baht. 699 denoted something a bit better. Seems not.

I used to buy a lot of cheese(together with other items) from Siamburi's. Especially when they had good deals on Greek Feta. Though once they sold out, they didn't come back in. Stopped making the journey after a while, especially as my cupboards are full of higher quality imported items now.

So does someone bring it over for you in a suitcase? My daughter always insists on bringing a kilo of mature cheddar and Cadbury's whole nut.

 

But I could order from SB at no extra cost if over 1000 THB. Smoked mackerel, smoked salmon off cuts, smoked Pollock - cheap substitute for haddock, but just about acceptable, blue cheese by the kilo, unsalted butter, cream cheese etc etc. Thailand doesn't seem to do smoked. Sun dried, yes. I guess the smoke houses will need to get FDA registered. Is it a big deal? I imagined it could be.

[NowNow]

8 minutes ago, bradiston said:

So does someone bring it over for you in a suitcase? My daughter always insists on bringing a kilo of mature cheddar and Cadbury's whole nut.

 

But I could order from SB at no extra cost if over 1000 THB. Smoked mackerel, smoked salmon off cuts, smoked Pollock - cheap substitute for haddock, but just about acceptable, blue cheese by the kilo, unsalted butter, cream cheese etc etc. Thailand doesn't seem to do smoked. Sun dried, yes. I guess the smoke houses will need to get FDA registered. Is it a big deal? I imagined it could be.

 

Different quality is the theme.  If I want bulk standard with no provenance I can buy from those places. If I want a good quality, it's relatively expensive.

[sometime]

Closed today Friday 11.30 am