Dangerous levels of pesticides in veggies at high-end markets

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Vegetables with a dangerously high level of pesticide have been sold in supermarkets and luxury department stores, the Foundation for Consumers said yesterday.

The foundation tested vegetables from 14 supermarkets in Bangkok for pesticide contamination.

The 14 samples included cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli, yard beans, morning glory, parsley and bird chilli peppers (also known as "bird's eye chillis").

The quality of seven of the samples was certified by the Department of Agriculture, while the rest were house-brand vegetable products.

The samples were tested by the Public Health Ministry's Medical Science Department in March. It was found that five samples - Chinese broccoli, two samples of yard beans, parsley and bird chilli pepper - were tainted with harmfully high levels of pesticide.

The parsley and yard beans were found to contain pesticides at a level that exceeded European safety standards.

Parsley sold at Siam Paragon Department Store's Gourmet Market was found to contain Chlorpyrifos at a level of 0.84 milligram per kilogram.

Under the European Union Food Standard, Chlorpyrifos should not exceed 0.005 milligrams per kilogram. However, Thai authorities do not designate a standard for Chlorpyrifos contamination in food products.

Exposure to high levels of Chlorpyrifos, which is used to control many different pests, can cause runny nose, tears and increased saliva production or drooling, headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal muscle cramps and loss of coordination.

Yard beans produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg per kg. Thailand National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards designated that the level of Carbofuran in food products should not exceed 0.1 mg per kg.

Carbofuran contamination causes symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, confusion and at very high exposures can case respiratory paralysis and death.

Foundation for Consumers manager Saree Ongsomwang said her agency would send the results of the tests to the Food and Drug Administration and urge it to call on food producers to improve their product quality.

Meanwhile, Vitoon Lianchamroon of the Biothai Foundation has demanded the government ban four pesticides - Carbofuran, Methomyl, Dicrotophos and EPN - for use on agricultural crops, as the pesticides pose serious health risks to people.

The pesticides are banned in the European Union, US, United Kingdom, Finland, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

Vitoon said there had been an effort by a large pesticides importer to force the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to register Methomyl and legally import it for widespread use in this country.

"Allowing these pesticides to be used in the country puts people's health at risk," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-07-12

" . . drooling, headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, abdominal muscle cramps and loss of coordination . . "

Better steer clear of the veggies then as I get all of the above from Beer Chang alone!

Is this another one of those buyer beware things? Meaning if you get sick or die, its your fault

because you had a choice of not using these products.

Kind of like getting on a bus or a boat and being injured or killed. it was your choice, so its your fault, as a few TV posters always argue.

The other question I have. Why is Thailand alowing these chemicals to be used when so many developed, developing and 3rd world countries have banned them, for there danger?

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

I saw that too & just considered it a typo. One of numerous bad editing we see here.

Yikes! For this reason I don't support my local neighbourhood market. Shopping at Tescos is marginally safer hopefully, even the expensive luxury supermarkets and delis don't seem to escape this.

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

Guessing that was a type o. I am assuming it should have been 0.7mg per kg. or it would not have been mentioned.

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

Guessing that was a type o. I am assuming it should have been 0.7mg per kg. or it would not have been mentioned.

Our someone doesn't even knew rudimentary maths and just landed the newspaper with a lawsuit.

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

Guessing that was a type o. I am assuming it should have been 0.7mg per kg. or it would not have been mentioned.

Our someone doesn't even knew rudimentary maths and just landed the newspaper with a lawsuit.

Could be a nix up between milligrams and micrograms.

Good to see how well regulated things are here. Wonder if the conforming veggies went to the EU

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

Guessing that was a type o. I am assuming it should have been 0.7mg per kg. or it would not have been mentioned.

It also goes on to say that carbofuran is banned in the EU

Meanwhile, Vitoon Lianchamroon of the Biothai Foundation has demanded the government ban four pesticides - Carbofuran, Methomyl, Dicrotophos and EPN - for use on agricultural crops, as the pesticides pose serious health risks to people.

The pesticides are banned in the European Union, US, United Kingdom, Finland, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

This statement is just to reassure tourists that Thai authorities are making (some) efforts to regulate poisons. The truth is that spraying of airborne pesticides is entirely unregulated in much of Thailand, its a toxic chemical free-for-all in some places, and walking through a cloud of that stuff, or sleeping in beds sprayed with it, kills much faster than eating sprayed veg. If they cared about pesticide they would really overhaul the enforcement of laws on other types of hazardous poison sprays used without notice in built-up areas, inside properties such as rentals, schools, hotels etc.

Yikes! For this reason I don't support my local neighbourhood market. Shopping at Tescos is marginally safer hopefully, even the expensive luxury supermarkets and delis don't seem to escape this.

Makes you wonder doesnt it? You have no idea at these local markets how this food was grown or handled before it got dumed on the bamboo table. I am pretty sure nobody is checking all these.

My wife has had food poisoning 3 times and in the hospital twice since last october.

produced by Doctor Company were tainted with Carbofuran at a level of 0.007mg per kg. The EU prescribes a safe level of Carbofuran as not exceeding 0.02mg

Isn't 0.007 less than 0.02?

That was referring to yard long beans. From my experience growing veggies here, yard long beans are one of the easiest to grow, & never seem to be bothered by pests on my pesticide free garden.

Anybody really surprised by this? Every day that I drive home, I see fields that were under floodwater for over two months back to growing vegetables and other items for the local market. What was in all that floodwater that sat on the soil for over two months? Contaminants from industrial estates to the north? Lead? Oil? Heavy metals? Just about everything, I guess.

This statement is just to reassure tourists that Thai authorities are making (some) efforts to regulate poisons. The truth is that spraying of airborne pesticides is entirely unregulated in much of Thailand, its a toxic chemical free-for-all in some places, and walking through a cloud of that stuff, or sleeping in beds sprayed with it, kills much faster than eating sprayed veg. If they cared about pesticide they would really overhaul the enforcement of laws on other types of hazardous poison sprays used without notice in built-up areas, inside properties such as rentals, schools, hotels etc.

Hmm.. doesn't anyone wash their veggies when they get home and before preparation?

Seems like a safe thing to do.

I wonder where the veggies came from?

Hmm.. doesn't anyone wash their veggies when they get home and before preparation?

Seems like a safe thing to do.

I wonder where the veggies came from?

Systematic pesticides are applied to the soil, & absorbed through the roots into the plant & then the fruit or veg. Supposedly, if guidelines are followed, the fruit is safe.

And to think I've been nagging my five year old daughter to eat her veggies!

Now I know why my kids' schoolbooks recommend that vegetables are washed in three changes of water (not tap water!).

Small wonder that so many Thais develop stomach cancer and peptic ulcers.

Good to see how well regulated things are here.

I assume you're kidding. Such things are extremely poorly regulated here. I've been haranguing on this topic for a long time, including numerous letter to editors of the Nation and Post.

There was a serious letter in one of them, years ago, which claimed there were no ill effects from spraying toxic chemicals on plants people eat.

Poisoning adults is bad enough, but poisoning kids is even worse. Who can then be surprised when we hear of Thai kids under-performing in school, and so many being sickly so often. Parents: if you care about your kids' health, take a long hard look at what sorts of chemicals are in the food they eat. You could dissuade them from eating veges and fruit altogether, but obviously the better route is to arrange for them to eat organic veges and fruits. Same for schools which provide meals.

Organic gardening and farming is less-than-fledgling in Thailand. Lots more needs to be done.

Hmm.. doesn't anyone wash their veggies when they get home and before preparation?

Seems like a safe thing to do.

I wonder where the veggies came from?

Unfortunately when the chemicals are absorbed in to the plant, no amount of washing is going to get rid of them.

I worked in agriculture for many years, and despite us giving the farmers pesticides at cost which were within the EU recommendations, years and years of training and advice we came across a wonderful piece of agricultural practice a few years ago.

On a dirt road among our fields of product was a pick up truck with a high pressure hose and a tote tank, spraying something over a 40m distance onto the fields. We drove up and asked him what he was doing. "Pest control" was the answer. He was available for rent for a fee per rai to drive out and spray the fields anytime anywhere.

When asked, what he was spraying, he had a toolbox on the back of his truck with about 6 or 7 different cannisters and bottles, no labels, no paperwork, nada. His answer was "this one is for thrips, this one is for aphids, this one is for bla bla bla." Despite my company being the ag export business for 30 years, giving farmers product for virtually nothing, having a field training staff of over 300, the farmers were more than happy to pay him "x" baht per rai because they couldn't be bothered to go out and do it themselves.

When you wonder why they don't ban things like Carbofuran or Cypermethirm which are banned or have very tight limits for residues in the West, there is huge business behind this, and it is essentially very cheap in comparison with better quality pesticides. Beyond that, farmers love to see that everything dies within minutes, so they always "put a little more" just to be sure, and they can't abide the situation where a pesticide may take a day or two to work. They want it dead, now.

So what did we have to do? At massive cost, randomly sample every farmers delivery of product, withhold a portion of payment, test it, and reserve the right to refuse it if it was beyond a certain level of residue. We didn't want to, but it did get their attention pretty fast.

However, don't believe that this is limited to Thailand, cypermethrin numbers in other parts of SE Asia can be extremely high on all crops, but it can be used properly and safely if only farmers would follow the instructions.

Then look at the concept that the Thai government desperately wants to stop foreign companies coming into Thailand and buying up tracts of land where they manage the whole production. Can't have foreigners doing agriculture, but we can have bazzilions of small hold farmers using illegal or incorrectly applied pesticides endangering everyone. Great logic.

Siam Paragon!

High price doesn't ensure a better product.

BANGKOK: -- Vegetables with a dangerously high level of pesticide have been sold in supermarkets and luxury department stores, the Foundation for Consumers said yesterday.

What a great deal: dangerously high level of pesticides in vegtables sold at high prices in high end stores....must be Thailand.

Is this another one of those buyer beware things? Meaning if you get sick or die, its your fault

because you had a choice of not using these products.

Kind of like getting on a bus or a boat and being injured or killed. it was your choice, so its your fault, as a few TV posters always argue.

The other question I have. Why is Thailand alowing these chemicals to be used when so many developed, developing and 3rd world countries have banned them, for there danger?

Easy answer.. Thailand is a country where the people who spray these chemicals have absolutely no regard for the effects they may be inflicting on the consumers, they only look at the benefits that they may reap at the markets where they try to sell their goods.

I have even seen vegetables sold by a farmer under the guise of "organic produce" from land that was under a metre of flood water up until early this year, god only knows what was in the water or what effect it would have on anyone who consumed the produce, he couldn't give a dam_n as he walked away with a huge smile & a good deal !!

Thailand is a country where early mortality is an acceptable form of death & any investigation or bad publicity which would only cause grief to those who are trying to make an dis-honest living is NOT acceptable !!

Ohhhh purely a personal opinion Thailand should be ranked as below a third world country..

BANGKOK: -- Vegetables with a dangerously high level of pesticide have been sold in supermarkets and luxury department stores, the Foundation for Consumers said yesterday.

What a great deal: dangerously high level of pesticides in vegtables sold at high prices in high end stores....must be Thailand.

They're paying the extra cost of the poison.

All the fuss is about the high end stores. No mention of what the poorer members of society get to buy.

It also goes on to say that carbofuran is banned in the EU

well thank god thailand actually exports some of this stuff that keeps it under control - unfortunately the imports from china are not so well controlled and we are all being exposed to dangerous levels of chemicals and hormones - where did I put my bra

This is Thailand and Thais have the right to spray whatever chemicals they want on their crops. They also have the right to sell it at whatever price they want. YOU are a foreigner and should be thankful the Thais are even willing to feed you. As a foreigner you have no right to criticize ANY practice which is acceptable to the Thais; as the current agriculture situation is. If you don't like it, don't eat food in Thailand, or better yet just get out of their country.

(I don't actually agree with this, but thought it was necessary for the Thai apologists who take this line on every other issue that arises. However, even though this is something that affects their health, they must stay in line with their ideology).

We wouldn't want you guys to be seen as hippocrites now, would we?

we could maybe assume the "strange" death of few tourists could be cause by very low quality of veggies and food found in the country, you never know as the hygiene in some restaurant or food stall on roads has a total lack of hygiene.

I am not surprise about those pesticides level .... I try to buy organic veggies most of the time or frozen veggies from Europe or veggies imported from Australia or NZ but pricing is outrageous for imported product , so the choice is rather limited. I just hope those pesticides disappear during cooking process.

Great, so buying veggies at Villa is poison, as well?. WhereTF can you buy safe veggies then?

Have veggies from the simple markets like Klong Toey ever been tested?