Imported Japanese Foods In Bangkok Radiation Free: Bangkok Governor

[webfact]

Imported Japanese foods in Bangkok radiation free: Bangkok Governor

BANGKOK, April 7 -- Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra on Thursday confirmed that food products in the capital imported from Japan remain free of radiation contamination.

Mr Sukhumbhand said food items -- fresh foods and ingredients from Japan -- are free of radioactive contamination as the products were strictly monitored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in collaboration with the Office of Atoms for Peace.

The municipal governor spoke to reporters after inspecting Isetan, a Japanese department store, at CentralWorld complex in Bangkok as it imported many products from Japan.

Mr Sukhumbhand said he was notified by Isetan executives that the store stockpiles products for six months and the present stocks were imported in January.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Adminstration (BMA) is trying to downplay fears among consumers on possible radioactive contamination in foods imported from Japan following the radiation leakage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant damaged by last month's strong earthquake and tsunami.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr Malinee Sukavejworakit said the BMA surveyed some 600 shops and restaurants importing food items from Japan, using a Geiger-Muller counter Portable Survey Metre, a portable radiation detector, and found no radioactive contamination over the standard level and that consumers could be assured that Japanese foods in Bangkok are safe to eat.

Meanwhile, Isetan executive Chanisa phanmanmas said there are alternate sources of foods that the company is using to import food products to replace those normally imported from Japan.

She said current stocks of imported food items will last until July, and that most have been imported from Kyushu Island in the South of Japan. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-04-07

[surangw]

would any one be allowed to bring their own dosemeter and check the food?

[AZBill]

"No mister 3 eyed fish very ok - sap sap you eat no problem"

[Frozen]

This is surely more trustworthy than the reports about "pantip copy free" and "patong prostitution free"... is it?

[exbelg]

what about restaurants like FUJI...

do the fish come from thailand or really imported from japan ?

in the latest case, i would not go eat there anymore

safe for consumption ? what about correpted governemental agents that says everything is ok, if they got a big bribe from the japanese or thai importer, otherwise all his shipment would be for the garbage

how can you expect that anything governemental works ok in this country as you see with your 90 day or yearly mess

[brahmburgers]

How about food which is MSG free, or pesticide free.

A few years ago, we heard about a declaration by Bkk authorities that trucks bringing fresh produce to the city would be inspected to see whether their veges/fruits had too much pesticides. One truck was inspected, then program was dropped.

[Payboy]

most have been imported from Kyushu Island

What's the guarantee that they were not shipped from Honshu to Kyushu?

[ding]

Japanese ban anything for any reason. Then they wait for forever to un-ban it.

The worm turns, never forget that. :jap:

[Shurup]

Somehow it goes against their earlier statement that they will not be checking any imports from Jap for radiation but instead would trust the attached Jap certificates stating the products are free of rads.

In either case I would not eat anything Jap. Better be safe than sorry especially in Thailand when an X smount of money in the right pocket can "fix" anything.

[webfact]

Tight controls on Japanese food eyed

By The Nation

The Public Health Ministry is considering tightening controls on food and ingredients from Japan.

Caesium 134 and 137 and Iodine 131 with radioactivity thresholds to be specified later will be added to the list of possible contaminants, while 12 prefectures in Japan will be added to the list of sources of foods requiring safety certification by laboratories rated at ISO17025.

The new criteria are under ministry scrutiny and will soon be finalised and put into effect. Then mandatory inspections and quarantines for forbidden items will be enforced at all sea and airports that have Food and Drug Administration offices, the ministry said.

Of the 227 imported food items and ingredients checked for radioactivity between March 16 and Wednesday, 156 samples passed, while 71 are undergoing testing. Two types of vegetables - hanawasabi and mitsushiba, which were brought in by airliner passengers - failed inspection.

-- The Nation 2011-04-08

[slapout]

Good chance for some individual/company to sell some Geiger counters to Thailand. The fellow/company from the UK may have the drivers seat, as he sold the infamous bomb/explosive detectors, so he knows the ropes.

[surangw]

Good chance for some individual/company to sell some Geiger counters to Thailand. The fellow/company from the UK may have the drivers seat, as he sold the infamous bomb/explosive detectors, so he knows the ropes.

good idea, I see military IM-179/U dosemeters on ebay selling under $20 ea