Crackdown On Contaminated Chicken; Thai Food

[webfact]

FOOD

Crackdown on contaminated chicken

By THE NATION

Many slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district have sent formalin-soaked chicken to remote areas for sale.

"Those involved in the scandal have targeted rather ignorant customers," Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Rapi Pongbuppakit said yesterday while discussing the latest controversy in his province.

On Monday, Livestock Development officials raided six chicken slaughterhouses in Pak Chong and seized about eight tonnes of decomposed chicken. Formalin was clearly used before the chicken was ready for distribution. Four suspects have been arrested in this case. Two have been charged over the same alleged wrongdoing before.

"We are now worried the formalin-soaked chicken may be used for making sausage or balls. If so, it will be very hard for the general public to notice the contamination," Dr Kamron Chaisiri said yesterday in his capacity as an inspector-general of the Public Health Ministry.

A survey at the Pak Chong fresh markets did not detect any contaminated chicken yesterday.

Nakhon Ratchasima Police deputy commander Colonel Wachirawit Krisrittisak is now serving as chief investigator in the case.

"I hope to see the investigation nail down the real culprits," Rapi said.

He disclosed that he had set up a committee to probe the Pak Chong district chief, Pak Chong Police Station superintendent, and Pak Chong livestock-development chief too.

"How can they be unaware of such wrongdoing?" the provincial governor questioned.

The Pak Chong livestock-development chief has already been transferred out of the district pending the investigation. He is scheduled to testify to the probe panel today.

-- The Nation 2011-06-15

[moe666]

What is formalin and what does it do to the chicken and to people who ingest it.

[janverbeem]

What is formalin and what does it do to the chicken and to people who ingest it.

Formalin is formaldehyde and is used to prevent food falling apart because of it's contamination process.

[happyjune]

Not sure, but FYI "Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong" = the western most area of Korat. Not to far away from major population areas.

(I didn't know where it was I admit) !!!

[RickBradford]

Formalin is used to preserve dead bodies so that the tissue doesn't decompose.

It is used in embalming to keep human bodies looking okay for funerals.

Eating it is not recommended: "In view of its widespread use, toxicity and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health.On 10 June 2011, the US National Toxicology Program has described formaldehyde as 'known to be a human carcinogen'."

[swifty5x5]

I think the criminals should be made to drink copious amounts of their own concoction.

[WEBLEDINK]

Lets hope they don't mix the formaldehyde and alcohol on site and got the rate right! Hope they test at least one of the suspected carcasses!

[webfact]

Tough Action Urged for Illegal Slaughterhouses

Leading poultry supplier and exporter Saha Farms Group urges authorities to take a hard line on an illegal slaughterhouse in Nakhon Ratchasima while calling on the new government to provide more support for poultry farmers and exporters.

Saha Farms Group President and CEO Manoonsri Chotitawan said the incident in which an unlicensed slaughterhouse in Nakhon Ratchasima Province bought dead chicken for butchering and selling to the public is considered an affront to consumers and that severe penalties must be taken for such a malpractice, such as a shutdown of the facility.

She called on the Department of Livestock to take a tougher stand in monitoring slaughterhouses across the country.

Manoonsri, meanwhile, said prices of chicken meat are on the rise because current production is unable to meet demand, adding that changes in weather condition have contributed to slow growth and poor health of chicken.

However, the Saha Farms president reaffirmed that export of poultry products, especially fresh chicken meat, remains unaffected.

The Commerce Ministry has set a target for export of cooked chicken meat this year at 420,000 tons, worth more than 100 billion baht.

She expects the new government to support chicken farmers and make an effort to raise export volume to one million tons a year.

Saha Farms Group has set its export target of at least 20 billion baht this year with a focus on Japan, where the export volume rose nearly two percent.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-15

[Latindancer]

I wonder if the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai had chicken on the menu ?

[webfact]

FDA: Chicken Meat in Bangkok Safe to Eat

The Food and Drug Administration has reaffirmed that chicken meat sold in Bangkok supermarkets is safe to eat. So far, no traces of formaldehyde have been found on chicken meat products.

Secretary general of the Food and Drug Administration, Doctor Pipat Yingseri, said the Public Health Office in all provinces, particularly in Nakhon Ratchasima, has been ordered to conduct a random check on all chicken meat products sold at local markets for possible harmful contamination.

Pipat also tried to quell the public fear by saying that chicken meat being sold at supermarkets is safe for consumption because it is supplied by certified slaughterhouses and packaged as half or whole chicken, not by parts.

He believes that contaminated chicken meat was sold to provincial markets for local barbecue or buffet restaurants, not in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Doctor Wichai Khattiyawittayakul, a public health official in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, disclosed that so far, no traces of formaldehyde have been found on sampled chicken meat.

He said further tests on chicken meat for nitrate and bacteria will be conducted by the Medical Science Center in the provinces.

Director General of the Department of Health, Somyos Deerassamee, said after having inspected a neighborhood market in Bangkok that around 40 to 50 tons of high-quality and safe chicken meat are sold each day at the market.

Somyos advised consumers that fresh chicken meat should be firm without being discolored or bumpy and having bleeding traces or odors.

He added that the meat preservation process normally involves use of potassium nitrate and artificial colors which could be harmful if consumed for a long time.

The symptoms range from dizziness, stomachache to acute diarrhea.

Long consumption could eventually lead to cancer.

He said health risks associated with formaldehyde are skin rash or irritation as well as respiratory and digestive problems.

Acute formaldehyde poisoning could also lead to severe stomachache, dizziness, vomiting, nervous system damage, lost of consciousness or death.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-15

[webfact]

Poultry sales fall with reported formalin-soaked decomposed chicken

NAKHON SAWAN, June 15 – Fresh poultry sales at markets in some provinces have dropped after Thai authorities raided illegal slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima and seized nine tonnes of decomposed chicken carcasses since Monday.

Fresh poultry sales at Bonkai market in Nakhon Sawan have dropped by over half to 100 kilograms per day as contrasted with prior daily sales of 200-300 kg daily as consumers demonstrate health concerns after reported formalin contamination in chicken carcasses from illegal poultry slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima.

In Nakhon Phanom, chicken sales have dropped and some poultry sellers in the markets have stopped selling chicken altogether, though temporarily. Meanwhile, consumers turned to buy pork and fish instead.

The governor of Nakhon Ratchasima ordered legal action against persons in illegal slaughterhouses buying birds for resale which have died from unknown causes.

Governor Rapee Pongbuppakit said police raided four illegal slaughterhouses in Pakchong district Tuesday, seizing 1.6 tonnes of dead poultry. More investigations are in progress to determine the ownership of the poultry processing plants. If government workers or officials are found to be behind the network, they will be punished.

A government livestock official in Pakchong district was relieved on his duties, and will be questioned Thursday.

The provincial governor said that the investigation will cover all 32 districts. However, the governor said he believed the problem is limited to Pakchong district.

Poultry carcasses were transported from the central region to illegal slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima where they were processed for sale in remote areas, he said.

Pol Col Wachirawit Kritritthisak, deputy commander of Nakhon Ratchasima provincial police, leading the investigation, said four people have been arrested, charged with illegally moving the carcasses without permission.

He said the probe is finding more culprits.

Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit on Monday ordered Dr Kamron Chaisiri, provincial public health inspector to probe the cases.

He said an illegal abattoir was raided in April and the case is proceeding in court. It is initially believed that the culprits are in the same group.

China’s official Xinhua news agency reports that Cambodia's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday prohibited the import of poultry products from Thailand. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-06-15

[FOODLOVER]

Barf

[scotto]

Make this man PM of thailand he has the guts to stand up to shonky practices

and is actually DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!

looks like we have someone that has not been bought off in thailand

well done

i applaud you

[WithMarco]

scary news.

i just bought 2kg of frozen Thai chicken breats in my local khmer supermarket .. should i throw it to the dogs ?

[exbelg]

who invent such a thing?

thailand, a place you can rest in piece(s) ... RIP

where you can fly (out of hotel rooms)

where you can dive in a lake (and drown in 1 foot of water, have head injuries and the police calls it a suicide)

where you can enjoy the sea and jetski (maffia taking your money with their scams)

where you can enjoy cheap transportation (500 baht for 2 min on tuk tuk or unmetered taxis)

and now also :

where you can enjoy delicious and dangerous foods that could kill you

[webfact]

FOOD

Cambodia bans chicken products from Thailand

By Xinhua/The Nation

Cambodia's ministry of commerce on Tuesday prohibited imports of chicken products from Thailand, one day after Thai officials raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima for selling decomposed chicken, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

"The ministry of commerce instructs all levels of authorities along the border between Cambodia and Thailand to prevent all imports of chicken products from Thailand even though the products have had phyto-sanitary certificate in order to protect our people health," said a directive signed by the minister of commerce Cham Prasidh.

"The ban will take effect from the signing date until there is new directive."

Xinhua reported the prohibition came after Thai officials raided chicken slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima province on June 13 and seized about eight tons of decomposed chicken.

The chicken slaughterhouses had soaked dead chickens in strong- smelling formalin solution before processing them as food products.

"The people who consumed formalin-contaminated food may suffer skin irritation, an inflamed stomach, vomiting and diarrhea; moreover, the prolonged consumption can cause damage to nervous system, sterility and cancer," said the directive.

-- The Nation 2011-06-15

[ratcatcher]

Quote "In Nakhon Phanom, chicken sales have dropped and some poultry sellers in the markets have stopped selling chicken altogether, though temporarily. Meanwhile, consumers turned to buy pork and fish instead."

I am sure there will now be a high demand for fresh dog meat in this culinary center of northeast Isaan. :jap: Wow!

[newermonkey]

What is formalin and what does it do to the chicken and to people who ingest it.

Found via Google search: http://het.sagepub.com/content/19/6/360.abstract

Formaldehyde is a physiological intermediary metabolite taking part in many biological process in the body. It is a constituent of many items of daily use, including foods. It is also used in medicine for treatment of some conditions. A 40% solution offormaldehyde in water is known as formalin. Formalin is irritating, corrosive and toxic and absorbed from all surfaces of the body. Ingestion is rare because of alarming odour and irritant effect but documented in accidental, homicidal or suicidal attempts. Ingestion can lead to immediate deleterious effects on almost all systems of the body including gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, cardiovascular system and hepato-renal system, causing gastrointestinal hemorrhage, cardiovascular collapse, unconsciousness or convulsions, severe metabolic acidosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. No specific antidote is available. Treatment of toxicity is supportive care of the various organ systems. Multidisciplinary approach is required for proper management.

Thai's smother so much chilly and other fowl tasting stuff on their food they may not notice the bad odor of the formalin (its what the undertaker uses on dead bodies to prevent premature rotting)!

The Chinese seem to have goten into trouble using the stuf in food as well:

http://chinabusinessphilippines.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=402:formalin-glazed-candies-anyone-&catid=43:consumer-update&Itemid=67

[newermonkey]

scary news.

i just bought 2kg of frozen Thai chicken breats in my local khmer supermarket .. should i throw it to the dogs ?

As a farang you might have undamaged taste buds and olfactory system so you should be able to smell the pungent chemical clearly. (smells a bit like paint thinners) The dog is far to cleaver and most likely will not go near it! :jap:

ps; actually... test it on the dog first, if its not interested in the meat then its probably contaminated.

Edited June 15, 2011 by newermonkey

[slapout]

One official suggested the tainted meat may be going into sausage or those unrecognizable balls that the vendors add to soup etc. Why not ask those selling this garbage where it went and follow the trail to the final outlet?

Sounds like this has been going on for a while and not just one packaging house is involved. What some people will do to make a buck. These are the type who deserve the Chinese solution, execute them, the petty fines/jail time threats do not work. Years ago Singha was rumored to add this solution to their beer. Denials were made but the funny smell/taste disappeared from the brew.

[blabla1]

I'll let you know, i'm going to a birthday party there on Saturday...gulp...

I wonder if the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai had chicken on the menu ?

[BigRick]

I saw this on the news over the past two days really made me not want to eat chicken anymore! And I thought chicken nuggets were nasty.

[webfact]

FORMALIN-SOAKED CHICKEN

Illegal business 'being run by a gang'

By The Nation

The discovery of sizeable quantities of rotten chicken being treated with formalin in Nakhon Ratchasima looks set to expose a large network involved in the illegal business.

Nakhon Ratchasima Police deputy commander Colonel Wachirawit Krisrittisak said the quantity of chicken found was so huge it must have come from very big farms.

"When chickens fall down dead, farm owners have to destroy the carcasses, not dissect them for sale," he said.

He said 11 illegal slaughterhouses in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district were insisting they did not know where the offending carcasses came from.

"They said they received them from a middleman," Wachirawit said. "They also said they sold chicken to fish and crocodile farms. Very many people have already lost confidence in chicken meat."

In Chaiyaphum, chicken sales yesterday fell 30 per cent.

The discovery of rotten chicken being treated with formalin has raised serious public alarm, with many people worrying that it could be sold to ignorant consumers.

Wachirawit vowed to get to the bottom of the matter.

"We will nail down the middleman and check where the chicken carcasses have come from," he said.

Police have already pressed more than 10 charges against four illegal slaughterhouses. Seven others will likely face the same charges soon.

Presently, police are also manning checkpoints across Nakhon Ratchasima to check for vehicles carrying chicken carcasses.

In response to an order from Nakhon Ratchasima public health chief Dr Wichai Kattiayawittayakul, officials are also checking fresh chicken at stalls in the Northeastern province for formalin contamination.

In a related development, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Rapi Pongbuppakit yesterday said he expected a negligence probe against livestock development chief Suksawas Thongnoi, the district chief and the superintendent of Pak Chong Police Station to conclude within three days.

Nakhon Ratchasima deputy governor Pititham Thitimontri heads the investigation. Suksawas has been transferred out of the area pending the probe's conclusions.

-- The Nation 2011-06-16

[ozzieovaseas]

One official suggested the tainted meat may be going into sausage or those unrecognizable balls that the vendors add to soup etc. Why not ask those selling this garbage where it went and follow the trail to the final outlet?

Sounds like this has been going on for a while and not just one packaging house is involved. What some people will do to make a buck. These are the type who deserve the Chinese solution, execute them, the petty fines/jail time threats do not work. Years ago Singha was rumored to add this solution to their beer. Denials were made but the funny smell/taste disappeared from the brew.

You are right in saying this sort of thing is not new. And not just in Asian countries either...meat producers in the west have been using a variation of this for years to both extend the shelf life of stock and make old stock appear fresh again. Granted it is sometimes watered down heavily or used in a slightly safer powder form, but still has the same basic properties.

[blabla1]

When i was an apprentice butcher,we learned to use old meat to make sausages, soak it in preservatives and wak em in the skin, we also used to export to Japan, i remember one Christmas break, the fridges lost power,when we walked in 5 days later,the smell of rotting meat was unbearable, no problem, gave em a bath in a secret mixture and off they went, it's everywhere!!!

One official suggested the tainted meat may be going into sausage or those unrecognizable balls that the vendors add to soup etc. Why not ask those selling this garbage where it went and follow the trail to the final outlet?

Sounds like this has been going on for a while and not just one packaging house is involved. What some people will do to make a buck. These are the type who deserve the Chinese solution, execute them, the petty fines/jail time threats do not work. Years ago Singha was rumored to add this solution to their beer. Denials were made but the funny smell/taste disappeared from the brew.

You are right in saying this sort of thing is not new. And not just in Asian countries either...meat producers in the west have been using a variation of this for years to both extend the shelf life of stock and make old stock appear fresh again. Granted it is sometimes watered down heavily or used in a slightly safer powder form, but still has the same basic properties.

[meatboy]

scary news.

i just bought 2kg of frozen Thai chicken breats in my local khmer supermarket .. should i throw it to the dogs ?

throw it to the dogs,if its not good enough for me my dog woudnt get a sniff of it,whats good for the dog is good for me.

[PattanapongJiampao]

Tough Action Urged for Illegal Slaughterhouses

Leading poultry supplier and exporter Saha Farms Group urges authorities to take a hard line on an illegal slaughterhouse in Nakhon Ratchasima while calling on the new government to provide more support for poultry farmers and exporters.

Saha Farms Group President and CEO Manoonsri Chotitawan said the incident in which an unlicensed slaughterhouse in Nakhon Ratchasima Province bought dead chicken for butchering and selling to the public is considered an affront to consumers and that severe penalties must be taken for such a malpractice, such as a shutdown of the facility.

She called on the Department of Livestock to take a tougher stand in monitoring slaughterhouses across the country.

Manoonsri, meanwhile, said prices of chicken meat are on the rise because current production is unable to meet demand, adding that changes in weather condition have contributed to slow growth and poor health of chicken.

However, the Saha Farms president reaffirmed that export of poultry products, especially fresh chicken meat, remains unaffected.

The Commerce Ministry has set a target for export of cooked chicken meat this year at 420,000 tons, worth more than 100 billion baht.

She expects the new government to support chicken farmers and make an effort to raise export volume to one million tons a year.

Saha Farms Group has set its export target of at least 20 billion baht this year with a focus on Japan, where the export volume rose nearly two percent.

-- Tan Network 2011-06-15

[PattanapongJiampao]

Let's fight for the rights of patient to have virtual medical care at the best access to reach good quality medicine at free will of doctors who consider about the life of patients are beyond anything ! Let's curse the crooked politicians who fooled us about the superb medical care policy before election and ignore us when they over spent budget for populistic vote buying , and now they just accused doctors who care for us with the charges " over prescription and unnecessary medication,etc." Why don't ask Abhisidh about his father's hospitaization now ? How much does it cost ?Do you think that the life of other Thais are less valuable than your life ? May I suggest one hospital in Nonthaburi "Phranangklao Hospital" you can check how bad it is now when good serviced minded doctor was expelled to practicse her profession at clinic next to crematorium of nearby temple and how old aged patients suffering a lot to seek medication services from this hospital !

[webfact]

Police to arrest suspects in chicken scare in week

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, June 18 – A police investigation into illegal chicken slaughterhouses in the northeast has been in progress and the authorities expect to arrest all suspects within a week, according to Pol Col Wachirawit Kritritthisak, Deputy Commander of Provincial Police.

Pol Col Wachirawit, heading the probe, said initially that legal action was taken in four cases with three cases proceeding to court.

Five out of six people surrendered to police. Three confessed while two others rejected the charges. One suspect, Chatchawan Petchprom, age 43, is still at large. The police will seek an arrest warrant for him next week after a summons was issued for him.

The suspects said that chicken carcasses were headed for use as food in fish ponds and crocodile farms. As to whether they were intended to be sold for human consumption or not, the police are awaiting further evidence from the public. So far, many persons have come forward with useful information.

“We will do our utmost to advance the cases,” he said. “We need evidence, leading to the arrests of persons behind as the poultry trade is quite a big business.”

Nakhon Ratchasima governor Rapee Pongbuppakit ordered legal action to be taken against anyone found involved in the illegal slaughterhouses buying dead chickens for resale.

The police raided illegal slaughterhouses in Pak Chong district and seized several tonnes of dead chickens allegedly preserved with formalin and resold for human consumption. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-06-18

[normac44]

Makes one wonder about KFC and Maccas, where do they get their chicken from.By the time thay mix the secret herbs and all in to it how would you know what the chicken is like?