Keep the corpse-preserver out of our food: Thai editorial

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Keep the corpse-preserver out of our food
The Nation

Consumers need to learn some basic facts to guard against formalin, and authorities need to crack down on this longstanding practice

BANGKOK: -- Most consumers will have been shocked by the news that fresh food and meat sold at markets and at several northeastern-style hot-pot shops was laced with formalin. The chemical poses a risk to health and its use in food has been prohibited.

Department of Health tests on food sold at markets in several provinces found much of it was contaminated with formalin. In some cases as many as 59 per cent of collected samples were found to contain the chemical. The contaminated foods included shrimp, squid and vegetables. Separate tests by the Food and Drug Administration found that 20 per cent of meat sampled at hot-pot shops was contaminated with a substance often used to preserve human corpses before cremation or burial.

Formalin is a strong solution of formaldehyde in liquid form, commonly used as a disinfectant or an embalming agent. But it also used illegally to preserve vegetables, fruits, meats and seafood. As such, formalin contamination has long been a major problem for Thailand's food industry.

Formalin is toxic and a potentially lethal carcinogen. People who ingest food laced with the preservative can experience irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, skin rashes, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and nosebleeds. Those who deal directly with formalin, such as vendors and workers at food shops, also risk health problems, ranging from eye and respiratory irritation to serious breathing difficulties, lung inflammation and pulmonary congestion.

The problem of foods being illegally contaminated with toxic substances such as formalin and boraxis is not a new one for Thai consumers. The question is why it has persisted for so long and why so many vendors opt to use such poisonous ingredients. The answer lies in three interrelated factors: the greed and dishonesty of vendors, a lack of action from law enforcers and the authorities, and widespread ignorance of the threat among consumers.

Consumers need to educate themselves about the contamination problem and learn some basic facts to protect themselves. These include how to tell if fresh food is laced with formalin. Experts say it has a strong chemical smell that often causes irritation to the airways. As an extra precaution, consumers should always wash fresh food and vegetables properly or boil them on high heat to reduce the risk of toxicity.

Authorities can help educate the public about the health hazards and should be cracking down on its use in the food industry. Also needed is close monitoring of the import, sale and distribution of formalin and other toxic substances used to adulterate food.

Meanwhile, our law-enforcement officials must get tough with those found using such chemicals in the food they sell. People found guilty of selling contaminated food face a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to Bt20,000. These penalties might not deter all prospective offenders, but strict law enforcement will discourage many.

-- The Nation 2014-03-13

[hanuman2543]

Did the Department of Health took action against the shops where they collected the samples or was it another lack of action from the authorities involved?

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[Thai at Heart]

Consumers need to educate themselves

Thanks. I read the article. And....

How about locking some asses in jail?

[noitom]

The world community needs to consider eliminating imported Thai shrimp and other foods. No standards, no concern for integrity.

[SoilSpoil]

The world community needs to consider eliminating imported Thai shrimp and other foods. No standards, no concern for integrity.

The frozen exported shrimp contains little formalin. It's the veggies, fruits and meats you buy on the markets that are contaminated.

These products are sprayed so that they won't rot easily when exposed to tropical temperatures.

It's a bloody scandal! Better buy frozen fruits/veggies and imported seafood at the Makro.

[jalansanitwong]

No mention of ALUM ...... this preservative is highly regarded by lunatics in the seafood industry as a preservative and colouring agent.

Banned in Japan and the west for many years because it causes brain damage.

Wouldnt be surprised if they shovel bag loads of it here. There's always been suspicion around what goes into the beer in Thailand.

Sometimes the beer i buy is flat when you pull the top.Its very difficult keeping perishables from going off in the tropics.

[Yunla]

Meanwhile, our law-enforcement officials must get tough with those found using such chemicals in the food they sell. People found guilty of selling contaminated food face a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to Bt20,000. These penalties might not deter all prospective offenders, but strict law enforcement will discourage many.

They need to stamp down hard on this, and also establish a "pesticide monitoring group" to ensure that all pesticides used are safe according to the latest scientific research, and are not used in excess of the stated safe amounts. Food laced with formalin and also over 200 times the safe level of pesitcides, including pesticides banned outright in other nations around the world because of safety concerns, this is a toxic cocktail which is extremely harmful to developing foetuses and young children especially - and not so great for adults either.

Your most basic human right is the right to not be killed, be that by gunfire etc. or by slow poisoning. People need to demand their rights and the government need to enforce those rights with a vengeance.

[Luk Mhee]

I always wondered why our kids walk around like zombies, with dazed looks, and blank eyes, it’s the formalin, that’s killing their brain cells. Or is this part of a bigger conspiracy?

[jayjayjayjay]

I don't know how well informed the Editor of The Nation is, but during my time with an American neutricutical company in the 90's the US government FDA released Formaldehyde to be used in and on American foods. I dont know if it has changed since but it puts loads of pressure on the Editor to qualify statements like "carcinogenic" etc!!!

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm127665.htm

Edited March 13, 2014 by jayjayjayjay

[Valentine]

As despicable as this practice is I would say the authorities would have little desire to do anything serious about tackling this problem as there is nothing in it for them. Health & safety are not primary concerns here. I have seen similar stories like this over the years about chemicals in the food at markets & the reason these stories keep popping up simply because nothing is ever done.

The opening sentence in the OP about consumers need to guard against formalin is ludicrous as how do they expect anyone to know what food is contaminated. Perhaps they could issue a little test kit to people entering the market?

Edited March 13, 2014 by Valentine

[cooked]

Scare story, using the term 'corpse preserver' is a nice bit of journalism. However I am happy that we have enough home grown vegetables (some stuff won't survive without pesticides, so we don't grow melons, for instance). We only buy fish that we have killed before our eyes, even then there is the worry about pollution in the Gulf of Thailand and the Caesium pollution in the China seas / Pacific.

Anyway, the more vegetables you eat, the healthier you will be, people living in vegetable growing districts, despite pesticide use, tend to be healthier than the average population.

[ezzra]

Shocked? NO, disgusted and appalled? yes, definitely... it has been know for year that some of

the food products are laced with prohibited and harmful substances, all in the name of profit..

[edgarfriendly]

nothing new here at all...

The answer to everything here lies in three interrelated factors:

greed and dishonesty,

lack of action from law enforcers & authorities,

widespread ignorance.

Chai-Yoooooooooooooooooooo!!

[Brevity]

Meanwhile, our law-enforcement officials must get tough with those found using such chemicals in the food they sell. People found guilty of selling contaminated food face a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to Bt20,000. These penalties might not deter all prospective offenders, but strict law enforcement will discourage many.

They need to stamp down hard on this, and also establish a "pesticide monitoring group" to ensure that all pesticides used are safe according to the latest scientific research, and are not used in excess of the stated safe amounts. Food laced with formalin and also over 200 times the safe level of pesitcides, including pesticides banned outright in other nations around the world because of safety concerns, this is a toxic cocktail which is extremely harmful to developing foetuses and young children especially - and not so great for adults either.

Your most basic human right is the right to not be killed, be that by gunfire etc. or by slow poisoning. People need to demand their rights and the government need to enforce those rights with a vengeance.

Nothing resembling the enforcement of laws happens in this country unless a big shot demands it or those in a position to enforce laws have money put directly into their pockets. Thais would never think in terms of creating a safer environment for the next generation because there is only one thing that matters to Thai people. That is stuffing as money into their jeans as they can today, with no concern for tomorrow. The future of their children, and grandchildren clearly matters not one bit to these people. How does a society and culture become so sick and misdirected as to loose all decency and spirituality like Thailand's has? Have you ever overheard Thais praying at the Buddhist shrines. All they usually pray for is money, luck and beautiful things.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Brevity

[SOTIRIOS]

....criminal.......is the word for it........

.....they found it in 59% of the samples.....what was done about it.....???

Edited March 13, 2014 by SOTIRIOS

[masuk]

I can't imagine that anywhere in the USA, that Formalin/Formaldehyde would be allowed anywhere near food.

here's a bit from Wiki:

Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH₂O or HCHO. It is the simplest aldehyde, and is also called by its systematic name methanal. The common name of the substance comes from its similarity and relation to formic acid.

A gas at room temperature, formaldehyde is colorless and has a characteristic pungent, irritating odor. It is an important precursor to many other materials and chemical compounds. In 1996, the installed capacity for the production of formaldehyde was estimated to be 8.7 million tonnes per year.^[3] Commercial solutions of formaldehyde in water, commonly calledformol, were formerly used as disinfectants and for preservation of biological specimens.

In view of its widespread use, toxicity and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health.^[4] In 2011, the US National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen".^[5][6][7]

[namdocmai]

It would be great if thai restaurants like Sizzlers, Fuji, Black Canyon, S&P, Pizza Company can guarantee that there is no formalin used in their products.

I won't eat from cheap Thai places anymore but it will be very hard to find good restaurants because probably they even don't know what is in their used ingredients.

Now i understand why my wife and her collegues sometimes have very strange serious health problems. They all think they are allergic for something but even the hospitals can't find the cause.

Last week a collegue suddenly woke up with a bleeding nose, she is healthy and never has problems with her health. I bet they eat at the wrong places during lunchbreak.

I hope the Thai government takes this very serious......I 'm not a fan of him but i 'm sure that Mr Thaksin could get this problem out of Thailand pretty fast. It takes a strong leader to deal with a problem like this and a good policeforce.

[ginjag]

No mention of ALUM ...... this preservative is highly regarded by lunatics in the seafood industry as a preservative and colouring agent.

Banned in Japan and the west for many years because it causes brain damage.

Wouldnt be surprised if they shovel bag loads of it here. There's always been suspicion around what goes into the beer in Thailand.

Sometimes the beer i buy is flat when you pull the top.Its very difficult keeping perishables from going off in the tropics.

Is this the reason so many ex pats are swilling beer down as soon as they wake up in the morning, they are therefore brain damaged.

Many of these guys were brain damaged prior to arriving.-----or were brain damaged by their supposed lover here.

On topic This is something the Thai dept., of health should have snuffed out years ago. Here it doesn't work that way as it will restrict profits to their maes in the food business and up yours to the general public.

[Brevity]

...

"I hope the Thai government takes this very serious......I 'm not a fan of him but i 'm sure that Mr Thaksin could get this problem out of Thailand pretty fast. It takes a strong leader to deal with a problem like this and a good police force."

Do you mean just like he eliminated all illegal drugs in Thailand when he ordered the extrajudicial killing of around 3000 supposedly SUSPECTED drug dealers? Oh wait! The drug problem is as bad as ever in Thailand, so that didn't go so well. But I guess he could try the same approach again by having hired thugs walk around the markets murdering vendors suspected of using formalin. Oh wait! Mr Thaksin is a convicted criminal who chose to flee the country with billions of Thai people's dollars rather than face legal process, so that won't go very well either.

I think the only real solution is to just recognize that corruption is so rampant in Thailand that we need to set up a special Corruption Fund. We all pay 1000 baht a month, and that goes into a fund to do things like paying for Thai government officials, MPs, judges, police, etc. to do their job rather than take bribes to look the other way. If the formalin importers/producers try to pay these people to ignore their duties and moral responsibilities, we up the bid using our vast Corruption Fund to have laws enforced. After all, money talks in Thailand, and everything else is bullsh*t that walks.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Brevity

[DagonKhan]

I don't know how well informed the Editor of The Nation is, but during my time with an American neutricutical company in the 90's the US government FDA released Formaldehyde to be used in and on American foods. I dont know if it has changed since but it puts loads of pressure on the Editor to qualify statements like "carcinogenic" etc!!!

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm127665.htm

I see what you're getting at, but it's a bit misleading to say dosing animal feed at 0.25% is used "in and on American foods". You would need to be able to prove that poultry pass that formaldehyde on through their meat, which humans in turn consume, to support that.

[Familyonthemove]

I can't imagine that anywhere in the USA, that Formalin/Formaldehyde would be allowed anywhere near food.

here's a bit from Wiki:

Formaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula CH₂O or HCHO. It is the simplest aldehyde, and is also called by its systematic name methanal. The common name of the substance comes from its similarity and relation to formic acid.

A gas at room temperature, formaldehyde is colorless and has a characteristic pungent, irritating odor. It is an important precursor to many other materials and chemical compounds. In 1996, the installed capacity for the production of formaldehyde was estimated to be 8.7 million tonnes per year.^[3] Commercial solutions of formaldehyde in water, commonly calledformol, were formerly used as disinfectants and for preservation of biological specimens.

In view of its widespread use, toxicity and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health.^[4] In 2011, the US National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen".^[5][6][7]

Surprisingly it is allowed by the US FDA for animal feeds and some restricted uses in food processing. It is also used in the manufacture of vaccines.

It can also occur naturally in the body.

But I guess there's a difference between controlled use and tiny doses - and using it in larger amounts in a less controlled way to preserve fruit and veg.

There must be safer alternatives. Chlorine dip is a better way to reduce contamination of fruit and veg - but even that can cause issues if concentrations are too high.

Another good reason to wash fruit and veg before eating.

[Doc46]

Should be easy to police;;;;Government employ a few thousand New HEALTH inspectors with test kits and let them loose on the country WITH THE POWER to jail anyone who breaks the health & safety laws;;;;I know, they will have to built a thousand new jails first and get all new Judges,,;;;;;;,But its a good thought )

[Jonmarleesco]

Keeping it away from politicians might help to introduce some new blood into Thai politics.

[masuk]

Some years ago, a new province was created in Java, Indonesia. The guy in charge was fairly go-ahead, and he was concerned about the lack of health standards, particularly amongst the street vendors.

He made enquiries, and agreed that the cities needed Health Inspectors - quite a few in fact. He had thought of sending a few to Australia to study for 6 months.

When he was told that they'd need a good command of English and the courses were 3 years, the whole problem was shelved.

I can see a possible problem here in Thailand. Are there Health Inspectors, checking hygiene, freezer temperatures, general standards of cleanliness and so on?

[pineconehead]

How about they go after the places that distribute this substance? Make Formalin, a restricted substance with access for limited uses, and lock down access to it.

Sorry I forgot we are talking about Thailand.

[Emster23]

Thanks for the educational and informative article. Armed with this knowledge I can now change my behavior. I will stop eating. Good to have excuse now for my creeping dementia.

[Xangsamhua]

Wouldnt be surprised if they shovel bag loads of it here. There's always been suspicion around what goes into the beer in Thailand.

Sometimes the beer i buy is flat when you pull the top.Its very difficult keeping perishables from going off in the tropics.

Singha claim there's no formaldehyde in their beer and never has been. I believe them on the first claim but wonder about the second.

In the 60s and 70s it was rumoured that Singha had formaldehyde in it. In 1973 I took my family from Laos to Pattaya for a five-day holiday and put two small Singhas in the freezer for four days. When I took them out they hadn't frozen at all. I thought that it was because of the formaldehyde, but it may have been something else they put in the beer. (The freezer was working OK with other stuff.)

Edited March 13, 2014 by Xangsamhua

[albro]

I don't know how well informed the Editor of The Nation is, but during my time with an American neutricutical company in the 90's the US government FDA released Formaldehyde to be used in and on American foods. I dont know if it has changed since but it puts loads of pressure on the Editor to qualify statements like "carcinogenic" etc!!!

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm127665.htm

Not sure if this was the article you intended, it only described approval of formaldehyde solution for chicken feed. Maybe there's a similar release for human food?

[Ulic]

5 year minimum sentence for any vendor whose products are found contaminated with formalin. Anyone caught accepting

a bribe should do the same minimum sentence. However if they report the bribe they can keep the money if the vendor goes

to jail.

[kimbathewhitelion]

Hilarious post but this is Thailand. Anything in the face of the World will be Thai Lies as usual. Why do people think they're so many fat Farangs here, simply because foreigners living here haven't within the evolution process adapted to all the harmful products that the (corrupt) Thai businesses put in the food & especially the beer. "Chang" is one of the worst culprits for formaldehyde, however I know they will continue with just a little bribe.

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