Dangerous Levels Of Pesticides Will Poison Thailand's Food Plan

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Dangerous levels of pesticides will poison food plan

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand wants to be the 'world's kitchen' and leading food exporter, but that will never happen with our safety standards so low and those in our export target markets so high

Part of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's mission at the United Nations General Assembly in New York was to promote her policy to develop Thailand into the "world's kitchen". At a Thai food exhibition there, she gave certificates to Thai restaurants that met the Commerce Ministry's "Thai Select" standards. The certification system issues seals of approval to Thai restaurants abroad by gauging their food quality and service. Thai Select is part of the government's "Thai Kitchen to the World" project, which was introduced in 2006 to boost the cuisine's international profile.

Many politicians believe that the kingdom is ready to be not just the "world's kitchen" but one of the world's biggest food exporters. Yingluck cited the country's annual US$20 billion in food exports and last year's status as the world's largest rice exporter. It's all thanks to "the strength of our agriculture sector, the abundance of natural resources and the advancement of our food processing technology", she said.

The point is, the task of promoting Thai food overseas demands responsibility and sincerity. What's less known is that Thai restaurants abroad cannot always use authentic Thai ingredients because much of the farm produce available for import doesn't meet the stricter food-safety standards in the European Union and other regions.

A local food-safety survey conducted last month by a consumer network might sound the death knell for our chances of becoming the world's kitchen.

The Thai Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) and respected consumer magazine Chaladsue reported that large amounts of vegetables assessed at Bangkok's fresh markets and supermarkets and on the pickup trucks that make the rounds of housing estates are contain a significant amount of pesticides. Even nicely packaged vegetables bearing "Safe" and "Quality" logos were deemed unsafe because of pesticide residue.

Tests were conducted on cabbages, broccoli, water morning glory, parsley, yard-long beans and bird chilli peppers collected at random from supermarkets, the Pracha Nivet and Huay Kwang markets and mobile markets. Some of the packaging carried the Q-for-quality logo.

Thai-PAN said the Huay Kwang produce showed the highest concentrations of pesticides in all kinds of vegetables, at an alarming 202 times the amount of chemicals allowed by European guidelines.

The risk of contamination varies according to the vegetable, with parsley topping the danger list. Tests on the herb revealed five types of pesticide, including Carbofuran, Chlopyrifos, EPN and Methidathion, at levels up to 102 times higher than the European limit. Yard-long beans and bird's-eye chillies came second and third, respectively. All of these chemicals are harmful to the health, threatening long-term effects and even acute poisoning if the concentration is high enough. Just three drops of EPN or a teaspoon of carbofuran can be fatal.

European guidelines suggest that there should not be more than 0.05mg of chloropyrifos, 0.02mg of methidathion and 0.3mg of methomyl in any given sample of food. Thai standards impose no limits at all.

Thailand can play a much more significant role in the future as the issue of global food security becomes more pronounced. The country's credibility depends on whether it can limit the use of pesticides in farm produce and processed products. What we need are stricter safety regulations. Thai-PAN once proposed that pesticides be officially registered and guidelines written to regulate their use. The Department of Agriculture turned down the proposal, claiming that 99.97 per cent of vegetables were free of pesticides such as carbofuran.

The government must make sure that Thais and overseas consumers of Thai food don't get sick eating Thai farm produce. Until we correct this situation, our goal of being the world's food provider remains far-fetched and far from possible.

-- The Nation 2012-09-28

[Thai at Heart]

They need to realize the rest of the world considers it food, nothing more nothing less, and so all the quality in the world it's worth nothing if it's smothered in pesticide.

[asiawatcher]

And like all the other counterfeit goods made in Thailand this even extends to labelling compliant food.

[fareastguy]

The Thai department of agriculture will never do anything to harm the farmers & everything to promote food, even if it's poisonous.

It works on the unsuspecting Thai consumer who believe everything that's written on the label

but the rest of the world believes in test results, especially of imported products & that's something the Thai products will never achieve.

Anywhere else Huay Kwang markets & it's suppliers would have had their operating certificates revoked & closed down.

But I bet nothing happened to anyone, the suppliers are still delivering poisoned veg & the market traders are selling to unsuspecting consumers

just another day in Thailand.

[clockman]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

[cloudhopper]

Even worse than I thought.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Wow!!! 202 times the amount of chemicals allowed by European guidelines.

Maybe it's time again for our dear leader in Dubai to arrange a Cabinet member Thai "safe" food eating show?

[patthaipat]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

[rfukata]

" will never happen with our safety standards so low"

basically, Thailand needs to seriously upgrade all of their standards in all fields, not limited to agriculture.

[Morakot]

Sicking!

[ricardofel]

Safety standards???? What safety standards? Miracle Thailand poisoning the world....just like the lead paint at schools poisoning school kids.

[Card]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

I can only suggest either u grow your own, soak the stuff in detergent water (special soap from most supermarkets) for a long time before using (but this only gets rid of the surface stuff), become a carnivore, or put up and shut up, as they say.

[smedly]

not surprised at all, remember this is a 3rd world country and as far as I can see will remain that way for a very very long time, I also see the rice export market going down the toilet - the government need to realise that if they want to be competitive in this region against the likes of Burma Cambodia etc then the baht needs to drop in value by at least 20%, they cannot afford to keep propping up the farmers with subsidies month after month, I'd love to know just how healthy the Thai economy really is because I don't believe one word this government says, the rich here enjoy the high value baht but eventually it will cause an implosion in Thailands economy - of this I am certain

[SOTIRIOS]

...domestically they market it as 'air freshener'......

...all this ignorance and greed adds up to 'higher than average cancer rates in Thailand....

.don't forget they mix it in cocktails for foreigners as well.............

[moggie]

the government should make farmers aware of what they are using on their crops.

the fertilizer and persticide companies used the same tactic in england about 20 years ago.

they approach the farmers and say u can increase your crop yield by let say 50% if u use this on your crops

in the first year they give a big discount on the price, the farmers are happy 50% more income.

in the second year they have to pay more, but farmers do not want to see a 50% drop in income

so the cycle has started.......

the government must set strict limits and educate the farmers!!!!!!

b4 the companies pollute this beautiful country

[anon467367354]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

soaking your veggies in a baking soda solution removes about 95% of the pesticides. I have friends here that work at a testing company, they test for this stuff, and they soak their lab equipment in a baking soda solution to prevent false readings. I buy more baking soda than anything else at the store because everything I eat doesn't come with a label other than produce from the royal projects.

[Thai at Heart]

the government should make farmers aware of what they are using on their crops.

the fertilizer and persticide companies used the same tactic in england about 20 years ago.

they approach the farmers and say u can increase your crop yield by let say 50% if u use this on your crops

in the first year they give a big discount on the price, the farmers are happy 50% more income.

in the second year they have to pay more, but farmers do not want to see a 50% drop in income

so the cycle has started.......

the government must set strict limits and educate the farmers!!!!!!

b4 the companies pollute this beautiful country

They have been educating farmers for 50 years about this, and the dangers of communal farming also.

[Johpa]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

For many of us long time observers, we are somewhat surprised that the trigger event that will bring down the house has not yet occurred. But speaking of bad health, as one who has long spent his years in-country in the rural agricultural areas, the health issues associated with the unprofessional use of pesticide is far worse that even this brief article hints at.

[Thai at Heart]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

For many of us long time observers, we are somewhat surprised that the trigger event that will bring down the house has not yet occurred. But speaking of bad health, as one who has long spent his years in-country in the rural agricultural areas, the health issues associated with the unprofessional use of pesticide is far worse that even this brief article hints at.

Having worked in agriculture here, kill it quick with whatever works quickest.

[thegreatbw]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

I use Veggie Wash. I've seen it in Gourmet Market and Home Fresh Mart.

[NowImEasy]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

soaking your veggies in a baking soda solution removes about 95% of the pesticides. I have friends here that work at a testing company, they test for this stuff, and they soak their lab equipment in a baking soda solution to prevent false readings. I buy more baking soda than anything else at the store because everything I eat doesn't come with a label other than produce from the royal projects.

Thanks for the tip. I'll wash the produce when my gf isn't around because she says that it's not a problem,

[Thai at Heart]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

soaking your veggies in a baking soda solution removes about 95% of the pesticides. I have friends here that work at a testing company, they test for this stuff, and they soak their lab equipment in a baking soda solution to prevent false readings. I buy more baking soda than anything else at the store because everything I eat doesn't come with a label other than produce from the royal projects.

Who would dare to test it?

[roamer]

Weirdest thing of all is that there is not an EU ban on import but a Thai prohibition on export. Make sense ? Well it does as far as the government is concerned as that attracts less harmful publicity than a ban would....apparently . Certainly many Thai restaurants in London at least are now getting their herbs like Holy Basil from Vietnamese importers who must be laughing all the way to the bank. TIT.

[scotbeve]

So all the certifications and the labellings are false if not unreliable! So i thought i had been eating organic veggies but they could be pesticide-laden stuff!! I already cut down on meat, fish, shrimps, seafood here as they are all sprayed with chemicals for preserving corpses! Gosh amazing thailand!

any advice on cleaning the veggie from pesticde will be appreciated.

There are (large) farms in the north that are specially sponsored that come down the chain to the upper food supermarkets and are labeled "Organic" and "Pesticide Fee" but they are not, in no way.....

Baking soda and water - soak for a reasonable time 30 min. ++

[scotbeve]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

For many of us long time observers, we are somewhat surprised that the trigger event that will bring down the house has not yet occurred. But speaking of bad health, as one who has long spent his years in-country in the rural agricultural areas, the health issues associated with the unprofessional use of pesticide is far worse that even this brief article hints at.

Indeed! Where we lived, there were hundreds of Honey Tangerine plantations... Driving out of the area (a rather large one at that!) for a day and coming back into the area is a shock to the olfactory sense! You can smell the chlorine in the air immediately. Monsanto, Glaxo, and a few other death dealers were very busy in the area selling the poison. On a farm just 100 meters from one of my houses, there were 14 deaths "due to HEALTH". All were Shan immigrants (with work permits).

[Thai at Heart]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

For many of us long time observers, we are somewhat surprised that the trigger event that will bring down the house has not yet occurred. But speaking of bad health, as one who has long spent his years in-country in the rural agricultural areas, the health issues associated with the unprofessional use of pesticide is far worse that even this brief article hints at.

Indeed! Where we lived, there were hundreds of Honey Tangerine plantations... Driving out of the area (a rather large one at that!) for a day and coming back into the area is a shock to the olfactory sense! You can smell the chlorine in the air immediately. Monsanto, Glaxo, and a few other death dealers were very busy in the area selling the poison. On a farm just 100 meters from one of my houses, there were 14 deaths "due to HEALTH". All were Shan immigrants (with work permits).

No disrespect, but imported pesticides are largely not used because they are too expensive. Good old cypermethrin locally made is the stuff.

[Skywalker69]

Wow!!! 202 times the amount of chemicals allowed by European guidelines.

Maybe it's time again for our dear leader in Dubai to arrange a Cabinet member Thai "safe" food eating show?

So when we starting to glow and loosing hair, that´s when we know we had to much "veggies" ??? Scary.

[scotbeve]

And which politician imports and distributes the poison, one day soon all will come falling down, this house of cards! maybe 2015 will be the trigger?

For many of us long time observers, we are somewhat surprised that the trigger event that will bring down the house has not yet occurred. But speaking of bad health, as one who has long spent his years in-country in the rural agricultural areas, the health issues associated with the unprofessional use of pesticide is far worse that even this brief article hints at.

Indeed! Where we lived, there were hundreds of Honey Tangerine plantations... Driving out of the area (a rather large one at that!) for a day and coming back into the area is a shock to the olfactory sense! You can smell the chlorine in the air immediately. Monsanto, Glaxo, and a few other death dealers were very busy in the area selling the poison. On a farm just 100 meters from one of my houses, there were 14 deaths "due to HEALTH". All were Shan immigrants (with work permits).

No disrespect, but imported pesticides are largely not used because they are too expensive. Good old cypermethrin locally made is the stuff.

Thai at Heart,

Oh they are using the stuff from abroad alright! I took many of the plantation owners to task and asked to see what they were using - I'm the uncle of the area because of being outspoken for the poor and downtrodden (via the missus). In Fang, about 10 yrs. ago, there was a very nice holistic monk who was murdered for opposing the big chem pushers. Rumors were that the hit men were paid by the chem reps. And "Rennet" was another nasty pesticide. DDT has been banned in almost every country in the world but Thailand has a weaker version of it - sorry, can't remember the name.

[Thai at Heart]

Thai at Heart,

Oh they are using the stuff from abroad alright! I took many of the plantation owners to task and asked to see what they were using - I'm the uncle of the area because of being outspoken for the poor and downtrodden (via the missus). In Fang, about 10 yrs. ago, there was a very nice holistic monk who was murdered for opposing the big chem pushers. Rumors were that the hit men were paid by the chem reps. And "Rennet" was another nasty pesticide. DDT has been banned in almost every country in the world but Thailand has a weaker version of it - sorry, can't remember the name.

The domestic manufacturers have 85% market share. The products are minimum half the price of imported. If there are no limits and no testing what benefit would the farmer get for using them.

Now up north there are plantations exporting idemame beans to Japan and they are tested, orange plantations i know all about i used to work for one of the owners of one the biggest.

If it was for domestic consumption, i doubt they would waste one satang more than necessary for pesticide. For export, possibly.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[scotbeve]

Thai at Heart,

Oh they are using the stuff from abroad alright! I took many of the plantation owners to task and asked to see what they were using - I'm the uncle of the area because of being outspoken for the poor and downtrodden (via the missus). In Fang, about 10 yrs. ago, there was a very nice holistic monk who was murdered for opposing the big chem pushers. Rumors were that the hit men were paid by the chem reps. And "Rennet" was another nasty pesticide. DDT has been banned in almost every country in the world but Thailand has a weaker version of it - sorry, can't remember the name.

The domestic manufacturers have 85% market share. The products are minimum half the price of imported. If there are no limits and no testing what benefit would the farmer get for using them.

Now up north there are plantations exporting idemame beans to Japan and they are tested, orange plantations i know all about i used to work for one of the owners of one the biggest.

If it was for domestic consumption, i doubt they would waste one satang more than necessary for pesticide. For export, possibly.

TAH,

Tanathorn was (maybe still is) using Rennet (imported) for many years. And isn't it true that now, after getting the formulae from the big chem companies, that indeed, the Thai companies are locally producing the stuff?