Thai Health Promotion Foundation To Organize Special Event To Promote Food Safety

[Lite Beer]

Thai Health Promotion Foundation to organize special event to promote food safety

BANGKOK, 5 August 2012 (NNT) – Thai Health Promotion Foundation has organized a special event to promote food safety awareness among the public.

Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s Social Communication and Campaign Section Director Associate Professor Dr. Wilasinee Adulyanon said on Saturday that the latest survey found that residents in Thailand’s city areas appeared to know only 8 types of vegetables.

Dr. Wilasinee stated that the young and new generation of Thais has opted for fast food, which is low in nutritional value.

In addition, farmers have been using more chemicals with their produce, which end up with contamination problem that poses threats to the health of consumers.

In order to promote the awareness of food safety, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation has initiated the “Taste of Food” event at the Santi Chai Prakan Park in Bangkok during August 4th and 5th to allow consumers and small entrepreneurs an opportunity to share and exchange information on food and related issues.

At the “Taste of Food” festival, environmentally-friendly food production and other educational activities, including a City Farm project to encourage city residents to grow safe vegetables, have been planned.

-- NNT 2012-08-05

[KireB]

Aren't there laws and regulations in place to guarantee food safety and protect consumers?

[KKvampire]

Food Health safety in Thailand? Long way to go.

[KKvampire]

Food Health safety in Thailand? A long way to go.Rather than being concerned about chemicals farmers use to grow crops, How about having some regs and checks with regard to hygiene in preparation and serving of food in public places.

[jaltsc]

So, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation is educating the people in the cities about food safety. However, one of the major problems with food safety is a result of farmers spraying everything is sight with chemicals, some of which have been banned in the west. How effective is educating the consumer if all the food available to them is contaminated with poisonous residue? How are they going to educate the farmers about the dangers of chemicals and convince them to use more labor intensive methods of "safe" farming?

"Dr. Wilasinee stated that the young and new generation of Thais has opted for fast food, which is low in nutritional value."

The "new generation" has been raised on television and slick advertising. I doubt that the present methods of education will be able to compete with the giant food producers' media attacks. Add to this a widespread belief that an obese child is a healthy child, fast food only going to grow in popularity. Especially when being seen in western style food establishments and overspending for the amount of nutrition received, is a sign of status. Starbuck's has thrown down the gauntlet by showing that if they can charge more money for a product in China than they charge in the west, customers will want to be seen in their establishments in order to separate themselves from the commoners.

[noahvail]

Aren't there laws and regulations in place to guarantee food safety and protect consumers?

Of course there are! Just as there are laws about traffic safety, about education in schools, about cleanliness in hospitals, about having no corruption in government...the list goes on and on.

Plenty of laws in Thailand. Getting them enforced, well...that's another matter. [Other than selective enforcement, of course.]

[rheinwiese]

Pesticide levels pose threat to Thai vegetable exports

Published: 26/01/2011 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

Researchers are calling for a reduction in the types of pesticides that can be registered for use at local farms because of concerns the European Union might ban Thai vegetable exports.

The sharp increase in pesticide use by Thai farmers has alarmed international markets.

One researcher said the Department of Agriculure also needed to impose a complete ban on four hazardous chemicals still used in Thailand but not in any developed country.

Rapichan Phurisamban, of Biothai, said the country's record of pesticide use was worrying.

Thailand imported 42,089 tonnes of pesticides in 1997 but that figure had risen to 137,594 tonnes in 2009.

Food and Agriculture Organisation figures for 2007 show Thailand had 27,126 agricultural chemical brands registered for use -

more than China (20,000), Vietnam (1,743), Indonesia (1,158), Malaysia (917), Burma (818) and Laos (100) combined.

"[it is] not only that the country is consuming a massive amount of chemicals,

we have also found that farmers still use agricultural chemicals that have been banned in many countries," Ms Rapichan said.

"They are carbofuran, dicrotophos, methomyl and EPN.

"The department should urgently ban these hazardous chemicals in line with international practice."

Dr Pattapong Kessomboon of the Department of Community Medicine at Khon Kaen University expressed concern over the government's alleged ignorance of the uncontrolled use of dangerous chemicals on vegetables.

"We were warned about chemical-contaminated vegetables 26 times in 2009 and up to 55 times last year," said Dr Pattapong, a member of the Thailand Pesticide Network.

"But there has been no quick response from the state agencies concerned."

He said chemical and pesticide use on vegetables had led to serious health problems including cancer.

Department of Agriculture director-general Jirakorn Kosaisevi insisted yesterday the state's controls on chemicals were on the right track.