Ambiguity on basic food labelling in Thailand.

[ABCer]

I am a non-drinker.

I do not smoke too much.

I am not too fat.

I am puzzled by ambiguous labels on basic food sold widely in Thailand.

MILK. Everybody uses it including babies. Yet according to existing labels milk straight from the cows and milk obtained from powder are both 100% Natural, 'fresh' and 'healthy'.

Both products are pasteurized and standardized to about 4% fat content.

JUICES. All packaged juices presumed to be Healthy. But according to existing labels you cannot distinguish juices squized from fruit and juices reconstituted from Frozen Concentrates.

Both products are 100% Natural.

Does anybody care?

Does anybody know of a simple way to distinguish at home real fresh milk from powder + water?

Does anybody know a Thai Gov't Body similar to FDA?

Thanks.

PLEASE, do not suggest drinking beer. I do it anyway.

Edited September 21, 2014 by ABCer

[h90]

If it is squeezed direct it is usually promoted on the package.

If no promotion it is from concentrate.

I always thought the milk in the fridge is direct from the cow, just pasteurized, standardized and homogenized (spelling). Maybe I was too naive on that?

[Sheryl]

Of course Thailand has an FDA, but like the US FDA, it regulates only pharmaceuticals. (Regulation of labeling on foods and supplements in the US actually falls under the FTC and USDA).

I am not aware of anything in Thailand similar to the "truth in advertizing" laws in many Western countries.

[ABCer]

If it is squeezed direct it is usually promoted on the package.

If no promotion it is from concentrate.

I always thought the milk in the fridge is direct from the cow, just pasteurized, standardized and homogenized (spelling). Maybe I was too naive on that?

I'm afraid we all are naive.

So far I failed to find any Thai Gov't Authority dealing with false advertising of food.

Not so with Libel Laws.

[h90]

If it is squeezed direct it is usually promoted on the package.

If no promotion it is from concentrate.

I always thought the milk in the fridge is direct from the cow, just pasteurized, standardized and homogenized (spelling). Maybe I was too naive on that?

I'm afraid we all are naive.

So far I failed to find any Thai Gov't Authority dealing with false advertising of food.

Not so with Libel Laws.

Well the most misleading advertising I found on the packages from international companies and imported food......

Slightly off topic, but did you read about the Ritter Sport thing in Germany. Thing is with natural Vanilla Aroma means that it comes from a poisones tree that just happens to have the same molecule in his fluids, not from the Vanilla plant....

Very common is to cheat with "no sugar" and adding sugar which origins just from different plants (tasteless apple juice concentrate, grape concentrate).

Or buying a plain yoghurt and beside lots of sugar you find a list a of 10 other items......not so plain.