Food Hygene

[Mosha]

Why do Thais seem to have no understanding of it? Go to a butchers, and see flies crawling over the meat. Go to a restaurant with the clean food good taste signs, and there are rats running around. I try talk to my wife about it, and all she says is cooking kills the germs. Then she tells her friends and they all laugh about it. We currently have a cholera problem in town.

[mataus101]

open packets and sauce bottles in the cupboards does my head in.

bags of rice and sugar sitting wide open for days.

in nakhon phanom i had some kind of grub crawling in my rice in a restaurant, there were actually 2 of them.

i showed the waitress and she said "whats problem" and walked away shaking her head.

never seen anyone wearing gloves here either, never.

[meom]

I disagree.

It’s not that they have no understanding of food hygiene but they have a different understanding .

They all understand what goes in must go out which boils down to finding the right balance between their internal rate of constipation and diarrhea.

Most of them have worked that out pretty well so who are we to enlighten them on basic food hygiene?

[wintermute]

I've seen Thai children splash around in brown water full of poop, chemicals, and other nastiness and walk away without even a sniffle. I think many of their physical bodies have mostly adapted to the polluted environment. Then when you have pasty milquetoast europeans coming who are used to pristine hospital like environments coming down with serious illnesses because they aren't used to it.

[Hooters]

Thais eat a staple diet of som tam. I dont care what anyone says but no germ or bug could survive a dip in a 10 chilli som tam and rats wont go near it.

[terryq]

Mosha said "Go to a restaurant with the clean food good taste signs, and there are rats running around."

Yes but they are well fed and perfectly healthy, its the "good taste" !!

[mataus101]

this is bullshit, have you looked at there death rate for food poisoning, lets be honest.

hygeine is a problem, they have no idea about many simple things that can kill, its a fact.

many young thais die in villages, its not really ghosts killing them.

surely people here cant say the hygiene is good, even thais are shitting through the eye of a needle half the time.

[astral]

I've seen Thai children splash around in brown water full of poop, chemicals, and other nastiness and walk away without even a sniffle. I think many of their physical bodies have mostly adapted to the polluted environment. Then when you have pasty milquetoast europeans coming who are used to pristine hospital like environments coming down with serious illnesses because they aren't used to it.

I have to agree here.

In the West we have become too mollicoddled, and paranoid about dirt.

Go and talk to your elderly relatives about conditions at home when they were children.

Also remember many Thais still buy today to cook today,

not letting the food sit around for days before being consumed

[mahtin]

Medication attributes of chili paste have been notified by the Ministry of Public Health and aimed to promote more prevailingly to consumers. Except for food deserve, it can help saving the medical treatment cost of health of Thai people, to Baht billions a year. Chili paste is a mixture of herbs that are beneficial to health by its common elements which are chili, garlic, shallot, shrimp and pickled fish and so on. It can help cells increase which eliminates pathogens and germs naturally, enhance blood circulation system and better cellular respiration system. It aids reducing the risk factors of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Also it contains antioxidants and anti-aging that can lower cancer risk and heart disease by 20 percent as well as epilepsy or brain disease 26 to 42 percent.

http://www.allthatspices.com/cms.php?id_cms=6&id_lang=1

There you have it: chili, Thai magic bullet.

[ludditeman]

Food hygiene is a western obsession.

Completely irrational IMHO.

Considering a lot of the activities than many foreigners get up to in Thailand, getting a tummy upset from eating dodgy food, is the least of their worries. The locals have developed a far hardier constitution, as have I after living here for a while.

Edited November 23, 2011 by ludditeman

[mataus101]

so whats with the bowel cancer then, its a big problem here.

the food poisoning must be imagined, the massive huge food poison problem must be a lie made up by the hospitals to sell soaps and detergants right.

science must have it all wrong, i thought germs were real.

[meom]

so whats with the bowel cancer then, its a big problem here.

I think that has more to do with (high) alcohol consumption and high intake of animal fat (beef).

[ludditeman]

so whats with the bowel cancer then, its a big problem here.

I think that has more to do with (high) alcohol consumption and high intake of animal fat (beef).

I would have to agree, cancer is unlikely to be germ/hygiene related.

More likely chemical pollution of some kind.

[LennyW]

so whats with the bowel cancer then, its a big problem here.

the food poisoning must be imagined, the massive huge food poison problem must be a lie made up by the hospitals to sell soaps and detergants right.

science must have it all wrong, i thought germs were real.

Age!! would probably be the number one factor (Thailand being a retiree friendly place), or do you have inside knowledge of something else?

Presumably you are talking about expat retirees, if not i cannot wait to see your scientific data/link to a credible source on this one.....

Or indeed do you have a link to any credible stories about "the massive huge food poison problem" ?

Let us know the facts.

[mataus101]

common sense is enough evidence, there is a reason schools in the west teach people to wear gloves and store foods at certain temperatures amongst other things.

germs exist in thailand as they exist everywhere, more so in high heat and humidity.

disregarding the kind of measures that prevent germs spreading will cause problems, cant be denied, thailand is quite a dirty place.

[ludditeman]

common sense is enough evidence, there is a reason schools in the west teach people to wear gloves and store foods at certain temperatures amongst other things.

germs exist in thailand as they exist everywhere, more so in high heat and humidity.

disregarding the kind of measures that prevent germs spreading will cause problems, cant be denied, thailand is quite a dirty place.

What schools teach in the west is not based on 'common sense'

Some schools teach Darwinism, Creationism, climate change, etc.

Teaching in the west, to some degree, is based on scientific fashion or religious ethics.

Germs exist, but the human body can learn to deal with germs without any help.

Many theories say that contact with germs helps the body build a natural resistance to them.

If rotten food hurt you, Naam Plaa (rotting fish sauce) would be a weapon of mass destruction.

My gf refuses (along with almost every other Thai I know) to store cooked food in a fridge,

Shocking to us western softies, but as I haven't died yet, it seems what we were told in the west wasn't entirely true.

[elwood]

I've seen Thai children splash around in brown water full of poop, chemicals, and other nastiness and walk away without even a sniffle. I think many of their physical bodies have mostly adapted to the polluted environment. Then when you have pasty milquetoast europeans coming who are used to pristine hospital like environments coming down with serious illnesses because they aren't used to it.

I have to agree here.

In the West we have become too mollicoddled, and paranoid about dirt.

Go and talk to your elderly relatives about conditions at home when they were children.

Also remember many Thais still buy today to cook today,

not letting the food sit around for days before being consumed

Good comment: as an ancient old codger, I was around when my parents had no fridge and bought food from the open-air markets almost every day - didn't have a supermarket packaging everything up in multiple-layers of protective gear. As a boozy young man, a stop at the roundabout layby to buy greasy food from a fag-smoking cook, or a visit to a greasy spoon for a death defying fried nosh, was a weekend regular.

People these days are paranoid about hygiene. When in Malta we had a visit from an American lady who was horrified to see an opened milk bottle on the breakfast table - she gave us a lecture (ignored) about all the germs that would spout from such an action. And I managed to survive 15 years in Arab countries without any food poisoning.

Maybe this hygiene obsession is all part of the PC-obsessed western world, and the Thai Visa expats seem to be well into it. Of course food poisoning is a dangerous illness, but I really think that we rabbit on about it far too much.

[lovetotravel]

this is bullshit, have you looked at there death rate for food poisoning, lets be honest.

hygeine is a problem, they have no idea about many simple things that can kill, its a fact.

many young thais die in villages, its not really ghosts killing them.

surely people here cant say the hygiene is good, even thais are shitting through the eye of a needle half the time.

Food poisoning is a big problem here. For both Thais and farangs. The Thais I know get sick all the time. Hard not to when eating somtam with those dang crabs in them...left sitting all day in the hot sun.

Here's one article that proves the point:

http://english.peopl...310_176274.html

Food poisoning kills 29 children in Philippines

Nearly 30 elementary school children in the Philippines have died after eating fried cassava balls obtained from a vendor, a local official told CNN.

Fourteen children died Wednesday before reaching hospitals and 13 died upon arrival, a spokesman for Ubay Mayor Eutiquio Bernales said.

Two more children also have died, but it was not clear when. Thirty-five more are in critical condition.

The victims suffered severe stomach pain, then vomiting and diarrhea after eating the snack during morning recess, The Associated Press reported.

As for milk, that lady is right on. Milk spoils very fast when not refrigerated:

http://www.ehow.com/...frigerated.html

Food, including dairy products, that reach temperatures between 41 and 140 degrees (the "danger zone") are potential breeding grounds for salmonella and other coliform bacteria. The general rule of thumb is that milk can stay unrefrigerated for about two hours, but then must be refrigerated as soon as possible after that.

Drinking Spoiled Milk

• Drinking milk that has been left on a counter at room temperature for several hours may or may not make you sick, but drinking potentially bacterial-laden milk isn't worth the gamble. Campylobacter, a bacteria present in spoiled milk, can cause diarrhea, fever, cramping, vomiting and headaches. When in doubt, pitch any warm milk that's been sitting out on the counter, and make sure baby bottles and toddler "sippy cups" are emptied and cleaned as soon the child is finished with them, or refrigerate any unused portions right away.

[mataus101]

you guys just keep taking the risk, as a responsible parent i will be cautious with what i feed my children.

As for what is taught at schools Darwanism cannot be looked at under a microscope, germs can.

pick a thread at random, and you will see something from ludditeman bordering on the absurd everytime.

please tell me most of your comments are not serious.

[travelmann]

common sense is enough evidence, there is a reason schools in the west teach people to wear gloves and store foods at certain temperatures amongst other things.

germs exist in thailand as they exist everywhere, more so in high heat and humidity.

disregarding the kind of measures that prevent germs spreading will cause problems, cant be denied, thailand is quite a dirty place.

What schools teach in the west is not based on 'common sense'

Some schools teach Darwinism, Creationism, climate change, etc.

Teaching in the west, to some degree, is based on scientific fashion or religious ethics.

Germs exist, but the human body can learn to deal with germs without any help.

Many theories say that contact with germs helps the body build a natural resistance to them.

If rotten food hurt you, Naam Plaa (rotting fish sauce) would be a weapon of mass destruction.

My gf refuses (along with almost every other Thai I know) to store cooked food in a fridge,

Shocking to us western softies, but as I haven't died yet, it seems what we were told in the west wasn't entirely true.

And my girlfriend wont wear a helmet on a bike, what will be will be, yeah RIGHT Tell the few thosuand that dies each year mai bpen rai eh?

I know someone personally who got food poisoning in Thailand eneded up being flown out of the country with brain damage, heart damage, kidney problems and has lost vision in one eye partially amongst many other problems they now have.

We had to "pick up the pieces" of this person for the family, hey but Im sure you'll be ok?????

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/food_poisoning/article_em.htm

Food poisoning is a common, usually mild, but sometimes deadly illness. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that occur suddenly (within 48 hours) after consuming a contaminated food or drink. Depending on the contaminant, fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration, and nervous system damage may follow. These symptoms may affect one person or a group of people who ate the same thing (called an outbreak).

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, 1 in 6 people becomes sick from eating contaminated food. In 2001, the CDC estimated that food poisoning causes about 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and up to 3,000 deaths each year.
• Norovirus and salmonella are the most common infectious forms of food-borne illness. Salmonella causes the most deaths followed by Toxoplasma and Listeria.
• Worldwide, diarrheal illnesses are among the leading causes of death. Travelers to developing countries often encounter food poisoning in the form of traveler's diarrhea or "Montezuma's revenge." Additionally, there are possible new global threats to the world's food supply through terrorist actions using food toxins as weapons.
• Increased virulence of known pathogens has caused deadly outbreaks such as the E. Coli STEC outbreak in Germany in 2011.

[ludditeman]

@travel

As the Thais say "not my father, not my mother"

[travelmann]

@travel

As the Thais say "not my father, not my mother"

HA ha yeah Thais say a lot, a lot of crap in many cases, "weve always done it that way" etc ................ reminds me of the joke about Paddy papering his hallway in his house and the neighbour Mick said " Paddy how many rolls did you use ta pepr the hall", Paddy says "20 rolls to be sure" so Mick does his hall and has 5 rolls left over goes to Paddy and says "hey Paddy i had 5 rolls left over" Paddy says " ah to be sure so did I"

[Banzai99]

you guys just keep taking the risk, as a responsible parent i will be cautious with what i feed my children.

As for what is taught at schools Darwanism cannot be looked at under a microscope, germs can.

pick a thread at random, and you will see something from ludditeman bordering on the absurd everytime.

please tell me most of your comments are not serious.

http://www.wcrf.org/...ancer_rates.php

http://www.foodpoisoning.com/

Why can't these Thais be more like us !!!!!!!

Edited November 24, 2011 by Banzai99

[ludditeman]

you guys just keep taking the risk, as a responsible parent i will be cautious with what i feed my children.

As for what is taught at schools Darwanism cannot be looked at under a microscope, germs can.

pick a thread at random, and you will see something from ludditeman bordering on the absurd everytime.

please tell me most of your comments are not serious.

http://www.wcrf.org/...ancer_rates.php

2008 Bowel Cancer Stats.

Good find Banzai!

Looks like mataus is 100% wrong, and the western world has the worst bowel cancer rate.

Comparing Australia and Asia, Asia has 1/3 the bowel cancer victims.

dam_n, that food hygiene problem must be bad in Aus

Edited November 24, 2011 by ludditeman

[Banzai99]

you guys just keep taking the risk, as a responsible parent i will be cautious with what i feed my children.

As for what is taught at schools Darwanism cannot be looked at under a microscope, germs can.

pick a thread at random, and you will see something from ludditeman bordering on the absurd everytime.

please tell me most of your comments are not serious.

http://www.wcrf.org/...ancer_rates.php

2008 Bowel Cancer Stats.

Good find Banzai!

Looks like mataus is 100% wrong, and the western world has the worst bowel cancer rate.

Comparing Australia and Asia, Asia has 1/3 the bowel cancer victims.

dam_n, that food hygiene problem must be bad in Aus

Must be the Thais that live in Australia.

[Payboy]

Must be the Thais that live in Australia.

Nah, its proven, shagging sheep causes bowel cancer.

[mataus101]

so looks like everyone here besides me is in agreemant, thailand does not have a hygiene problem.

it's an amazingly clean country as you can see when you walk the streets, just amazingly clean.

talk about denial, the place is filthy.

[ludditeman]

so looks like everyone here besides me is in agreemant, thailand does not have a hygiene problem.

it's an amazingly clean country as you can see when you walk the streets, just amazingly clean.

talk about denial, the place is filthy.

Haven't you started a thread, "Negativity bordering on racism", where you complain that if we don't like it here we should leave?

[Banzai99]

so looks like everyone here besides me is in agreemant, thailand does not have a hygiene problem.

it's an amazingly clean country as you can see when you walk the streets, just amazingly clean.

talk about denial, the place is filthy.

Yet you choose to live here, talk about crazy.

[mataus101]

place is filthy, but that does not mean i dont like the place.

i will at least be honest enough to admit the faults.

what, you have not noticed the dirty streets, is that what your saying.

you must have seen it, yet your there to.