Over Half Of The Noodle Shops Do Not Meet Health Standards

[ChiangMaiMail]

Over half of the noodle shops do not meet health standards

Officials from the Office of Public Health in Chiang Mai meet with local vendors at a seminar on noodle shop health and safety standards.

Nopniwat Krailerg

The Office of Public Health for Chiang Mai’s chief, Dr. Wattana Kanchanakamol disclosed at a seminar at the Mercure Hotel on June 8, 2012 that 59.4 percent of noodle shops inspected to not meet the health and safety standards as set by the Ministry of Public Health.

The seminar was held to educate noodle shop owners as to the required standards to maintain public health, over 300 people joined in the meeting.

Dr. Wattana noted the prevalence of noodles in the diet of Thais but noted that often the consumers are not aware that they food they were eating was not up to standards, resulting in health issues and disease. The City will push for all restaurants, stands and shops to meet kitchen safety standards around the city by 2016.

The Deputy Head of the Office of Public Health, Dr. Surasingh Wisarutrat, noted that there are more than 2,500 noodle shops and stands around Chiang Mai and the number continues to increase. He said that after inspection in 25 districts in Chiang Mai they found 22 percent of the shops and stands used pots containing lead. A further 22 percent were found to use noodles with excessive amounts of preservatives, including Benzoid while 58.7 percent used vegetables with high amounts of pesticides. 26 percent of the shops offered substandard vinegar and 64 percent used unhygienic plates, bowls and chopsticks. 37.6 percent of the vendors had bacteria on their hands and 96.5 percent of the shops used environmentally unfriendly foam packaging. In total 59.4 percent of the noodle shops and stands did not meet health and safety standards.

http://chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd17

[chiangmaimail][/chiangmaimail]

[lizardtongue]

Bacteria can live at a WIDE range of temperatures, depending on what species you are talking about. Generally, it is recommended to bring bacteria-laden water to a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes to kill off all bacteria. Freezing them is generally not a good way to kill them, just stop them from growing. There are bacteria called thermophiles which can withstand very high temperatures for a very long period of time. But most will be killed in a nice pot of boiling water.

Bacteria, like E. coli, that can contaminate meats are killed before eating by cooking the meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F. Cook ground meats until brown all the way through and juices run clear.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_temperature_kills_bacteria#ixzz27CMbi5xc

How many noodle shops/stalls and restaurants use or have the use of instant boiling water? Not too many me thinks, ergo a dose of Bangkok Belly every now and again!

As for 'ice' producing companies I dread to think of the conditions that is produced in!

[sharktooth]

And don't forget dysentery. This is not passed through food but utensils, so if the dishes you are eating out of or the cutlery is infected, or even the server has it on their hands you are well and truly xxxxed. Trust me, I've had it and I thought I was off to meet me maker! Ended up on an IV and 6000mg of antibiotics a day.

[jbrain]

If the topic title is correct, then I'll have to assume that they only checked half of the noodle shops

[cloudhopper]

"The City will push for all restaurants, stands and shops to meet kitchen safety standards around the city by 2016."

Now that's very reassuring. I wonder where those restaurants buy their veggies with high amounts of pesticides and noodles with excess amounts of preservatives?

[MESmith]

"The City will push for all restaurants, stands and shops to meet kitchen safety standards around the city by 2016."

Now that's very reassuring. I wonder where those restaurants buy their veggies with high amounts of pesticides and noodles with excess amounts of preservatives?

Probably the same markets that most other restaurants & residents buy theirs. Time for the Office of Public Health to carry out extensive studies of all veg sold in the city, & publish results.

[market trader]

Good to know the reason why I sit on the toilet for 24 hours after eating street food.

[cloudhopper]

Time for the Office of Public Health to carry out extensive studies of all veg sold in the city, & publish results.

Yeah we live in a farming area and watch them spray crap on everything, which is why we try to grow our own as much as we can, even our own rice, organically. Someone just built a small drinking water plant down the road from us - sources the water from the irrigation canal that everyone rinses all their pesticide sprayers in then runs it through a sand filter and voila! pure Pai mountain drinking water delivered to your door. I wouldn't trust anything labeled organic here - it's just too easy to cheat.

[meatboy]

has anybody ever seen a hygiene certificate displayed.

[rsokolowski]

This is unbelievable, who would have thought that this could be possible in Thhailand? <deleted>, what do you really expect?

[moe666]

I guess I eat at the right shops no bad belly in years