Thai Medical Sciences Dept Warn Consumers Of Threats From Low-Quality Plasticware

[Credo]

The Chinese are using fake melamine because they used all the real melamine to poison pets and children?

[jackspratt]

In the USA I spent a couple of years replacing all plastic containers with glass. Then dumped everything before moving to Thailand two years ago. And here it's very difficult to find glassware except at a high premium price at expensive stores. What an mistake just to save Customs duty and freight! Why doesn't the government reduce import duties on beneficial products and only tax the harmful stuff?

"Beneficial" and "harmful" are terms in the eye of the beholder.

Perhaps you could educate us.

[Konini]

In the USA I spent a couple of years replacing all plastic containers with glass. Then dumped everything before moving to Thailand two years ago. And here it's very difficult to find glassware except at a high premium price at expensive stores. What an mistake just to save Customs duty and freight! Why doesn't the government reduce import duties on beneficial products and only tax the harmful stuff?

Check out Macro - I've got loads of cheapish glass storage jars and bottles from there. A couple from department stores, but they were very expensive.

[wealth]

Anyone know much about this subject or have good links?

naturalnews.com is a great source

you will find the boss often over at prisonplanet and infowars.com

Hot stuff click here

[jcttodd]

Does this cover the plastic bag that gets microwaved in 711?

I watched a Thai start a fire on the beach one night, with a handful of these bags. I was shocked, they burn not just melt.

[Thai at Heart]

Does this cover the plastic bag that gets microwaved in 711?

I watched a Thai start a fire on the beach one night, with a handful of these bags. I was shocked, they burn not just melt.

Indeed, it's one thing to show pictures of washing baskets on the op, when 7 11 chucks thousands of plastic bags per day into industrial microwaves and serves them happily to the nation, labeling, and often with sellotape attached.

Please Mr health department run a check to prove this is safe.

[chooka]

Does this cover the plastic bag that gets microwaved in 711?

There was actually a story in Australia awhile back raising the concerns of thing such as T.V Dinners and bottled water. They were saying food should never be heated in the microwave in it's plastic packaging as it releases chemicals harmful to health. In relation to bottled water they refered to the bottles left in the sun or in cars where the sun's rays create the same effect as a microwave. Mainly the cheaper collapsable type plastic water bottles.

[Thai at Heart]

Does this cover the plastic bag that gets microwaved in 711?

There was actually a story in Australia awhile back raising the concerns of thing such as T.V Dinners and bottled water. They were saying food should never be heated in the microwave in it's plastic packaging as it releases chemicals harmful to health. In relation to bottled water they refered to the bottles left in the sun or in cars where the sun's rays create the same effect as a microwave. Mainly the cheaper collapsable type plastic water bottles.

That's why I mention it. The main place serving microwaved food in plastics is 7 11. Now they are professional, but what odds anyone checked this plastic packaging?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

"He has urged the public to be cautious while shopping for plastic-ware and to check all details that can convince them of the safety for use".

This article would have been useful if the reader was told how to check the details.

How to check:

Avoid plastic containers with recycling codes #3 #6 #7

#3 or "v" (PVC or vinyl) Polyvinyle Cloride

#6 or"PS" (Polystyrene)

#7 or "other" (Polycarbonate) Bisphenol A (BPA)

Look for "PCVfree" and "BPA free" labels

Avoid toys made of soft plastic vinyl (PVC)

Avoid the use of plastic baby bottles (BPA)

Do not use plastic or plastic wrap in the microwave (food and beverages)

Discard all food containers with scratches, especially baby bottles and feeding cups.

Do not heat any kind of baby bottles in the mycroware

Use only glass or stainless steel food storage containers

Hope this helps.

I looked in our kitchen cabinet at home... Have a bunch of plastic (freezer, refrig, microwave) food storage containers, all manufactured in Thailand, with brand names like Super Lock. All are labeled as being microwave safe for re-heating food, and all carry the (5) designation on the bottom. Have no idea what that's supposed to mean, or whether any of this stuff is believable, especially here where "truth in advertising" and labeling are meaningless foreign concepts.

Just like the recent disclosure that the Thai government's drug manufacturing operation bought contaminated precursor chemicals from China that were to be used in manufacturing paracetamol. Something may be manufactured here in Thailand (for whatever that's worth), but that doesn't mean that's where the source components originated from.

Awhile back, I was reading up on the BPA issue relating to water storage bottles. And that's a genuine concern. But then started reading about the plastic industry's answer to BPA, the supposed BPA-free bottles. But when you read about those, there's some indication that they may also leach harmful chemicals, just like their predecessor.

Edited May 4, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Dr. Niphon stated that lab tests of these items on the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FT-IR) machine found that some are made of fake melamine, which poses health threats, including carcinogens, when exposed to acid content or high heat

As there remains no law to control or deal with fake melamine, the risk is inevitably within the discretion of consumers, said Dr. Niphon.

So this being Thailand, of course the question will never be asked, WHY is there no law to control or deal with fake melamine in consumer products?

Or better yet, how can it be that the Thai government's health or food and drug bureaucracies don't have the authority to seize falsely labeled, inferior, potentially hazardous products imported from abroad. In reality, I suspect they do have that legal authority...but as with so many other things....choose not to use it.

[utalkin2me]

And, I think we can assume the average street food vendor isn't using high quality, imported plastic

I knew those 30 baht dinners had to be coming at some price.

[jingjoke]

#30 'And here it's very difficult to find glassware except at a high premium price at expensive stores.'

One can't go wrong with the French "Arc" glassware available at Makro, Rimping Stores or others .

Great design, quality, and strength.

[jingjoke]

#39 ' BPA issue relating to water storage bottles. And that's a genuine concern.'

You can run but you can't hide! as they say....

It's not just plastic containers: North American authorities are also worried about the BPA-plastic inner coating of tin cans used for food products.

[Thai at Heart]

Isn't there a Thai Esther Rantsen around. I think I have the perfect way for pornthip Tui rehabilitate her reputation.

Consumer safety advocate. There are so many everyday things that go on here that no one even considers safe, she could really do the country a service.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Perhaps someone like a Somchai Nader???

[somtampet]

I had a clothesa basket for about 6 months,and one day i picked it up full of clothes and the whole side virtualy disintergrated and cut my fingers badly.

[geriatrickid]

.

The best material remains quality glassware. Remember the old style pyrex dishes and bowels?

I try to avoid eating from bowels as much as possible.

I saw that error but was too late to correct it. I am embarrassed.

The worst part was that I was reading an article on polyps and I am just glad I didn't make it worse by using a colon in the sentence...........

[edgarfriendly]

plastic is not the only low-quality & harmless to health matter here!