US officially asks Thailand to recall her contaminated apples

[Pistol101]

Soak all fruit and vegetables for 30 mins in a bowl of filtered water with added fresh lemon juice & sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). This helps to break down pesticide and chemical residue.

If folks are foolish enough to believe the US government has real concern for anyone but themselves, (FDA is bought and paid for by Bigpharma and is completely corrupt and untrustworthy), then after draining the produce following the above method, spray the produce with some colloidal silver which will destroy bacteria.

[tomross46]

Is the US FDA going to reimburse the importers, The total CIF cost. Or is going to be like most FDA actions, they do not care, or was the electronic communication lost on a failed disk drive. Why were these apples allowed to be exported? Somewhere the FDA made a mistake

[Suradit69]

America:

The apples we gave you could kill someone

Thailand:

Nah. In my twisted imagination I need to somehow save face by just ignoring your warning about your own product. hashtagThainess

Arrogance. Sheer arrogance on the part of Thai health authorities.

No. They checked if the shipments were those specified in the warning and made a perfectly reasonable decision. The US FDA is well-known for hysterical ass-covering that often results in pointless over-reactions ... such as yours.

According to the Ministry, none of the mentioned companies had imported the two brands of apples that were reported to contain bacterial contamination.

The "arrogance, sheer arrogance" comes from the bar stool experts on Thai Visa. Apoplectic frenzy is far more likely to take out some posters than eating apples would.

Given the findings from the latest test results, and out of an abundance of caution, the company has instituted a voluntary recall of all Bidart Bros. Granny Smith and Gala apples still available in the marketplace. Bidart Bros. is contacting all of their retailers with specific instructions as to how to return those apples to Bidart Bros. Bidart Bros. last shipped Granny Smith apples to customers on December 2, 2014.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Suradit69

[lvr181]

Soak all fruit and vegetables for 30 mins in a bowl of filtered water with added fresh lemon juice & sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). This helps to break down pesticide and chemical residue.

If folks are foolish enough to believe the US government has real concern for anyone but themselves, (FDA is bought and paid for by Bigpharma and is completely corrupt and untrustworthy), then after draining the produce following the above method, spray the produce with some colloidal silver which will destroy bacteria.

And what is your evidence for using colloidal silver? Anecdotal I suspect

See here: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061

[Tomtomtom69]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

I wonder the same in the UK. They have some of the best apples in the world, yet they import inferior quality apples.

For Thailand, I guess there are many farangs that are frightened to eat Thai food, so better for them to eat contaminated US apples.

England shouldn't be importing something it already grows itself but I guess being able to import cheap foreign apples triumphs the common sense approach, which would be to support local farmers and industry. Having said that, where do the imports come from? If EU,I would hardly call those imports as the EU is a common market.

[CapeCobra]

What's wrong with apples these days? I rather go for olives.

[Tomtomtom69]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

what are you talking about? Thailand is much too warm for growing apples just like say Switzerland is too cold for growing coconuts. Each country produces what they have a competitive advantage in. And frankly with the exception of this outbreak American grown produce is generally very safe and trustworthy. Unlike most thai fruits and vegetables which are pumped full of hormones or laced with formaline to prevent decay and increase shelf life.

i am quit sure you could grow some kinds in the Chiang Mai area . But is it worth the trouble when you can import them for cheap ?

I'm not so sure about that. Chiang Mai is still too warm, there's not enough winter chill and I'm not sure if apples would survive the brutal heat of March to may not to mention the the tremendous amount of rain during the rainy season. Even if highland areas could grow them the problem is lack of available land; most of what isn't located inside a national park has been set aside for tea and coffee production. Also china is a cheap source of apples - they are the world's biggest producers these days and not far away from Thailand.

[German Viking]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

Looks like you are a rocket scientist in growing apples, thailand having not so much regions to growing apples, caused of their climate.

Some regions in the north would be possible, but have to prove every place, also about soil conditions, raining etc. and then decide and test what kind of apples would growing the best in every location.

[Pistol101]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Soak all fruit and vegetables for 30 mins in a bowl of filtered water with added fresh lemon juice & sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). This helps to break down pesticide and chemical residue.

If folks are foolish enough to believe the US government has real concern for anyone but themselves, (FDA is bought and paid for by Bigpharma and is completely corrupt and untrustworthy), then after draining the produce following the above method, spray the produce with some colloidal silver which will destroy bacteria.

And what is your evidence for using colloidal silver? Anecdotal I suspect alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

See here: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061

hahaha... no its not anecdotal... have you researched this yourself? or are just pulling the first thing you find of the internet that supports your false belief?

FYI, the effects of silver on bacteria has been known since time memorial and is still used clinically to this very day. Try using a site that actually has interests in more natural forms of healing and you may find more accurate answers regarding the use of colloidal silver. It will be difficult to find a website that isn't blatantly swayed towards protecting the interests and billion dollar profits of the chem and pharm giants that has anything positive to say about any form of healing other than a patented drug or process... Did you ever consider the potential for misinformation/cover ups/malfeasance and collusion when Monsanto/US government officials/FDA have shared and swapped the top positions among themselves?? If you had a market virtually concerned and raked in Billions upon Billions of dollars in profits every year, what would u do to curb the competition? would you go as far as to condemn anyone that presents an argument that opposes your official position? would you censor information to prevent those in need from seeking better alternatives??? of course you would.. and if you didnt, then you would not be holding one of those positions for long, or would wind up missing or worse....Have u noticed it takes very little for the FDA to stamp on something from the natural healing fraternity if even one person is claimed to be injured, yet iatrogenicide (death by physician - one of the leading causes of death in the west) rarely leads to the same actions being taken against drug manufacturers??

Perhaps these articles will put things into perspective

http://www.naturalnews.com/022728_silver_FDA_the.html

http://www.colloidalsilverkillsviruses.com/

http://rense.com/cs/cs1.htm

[IAMHERE]

I'm guessing most apples in Thailand are not eaten by Thai's. I've never seen a Thai buy or eat an apple. Perhaps a Thai spouse will eat an apple, don't know how they are viewed by Thai higher ups.

[German Viking]

America:

The apples we gave you could kill someone

Thailand:

Nah. In my twisted imagination I need to somehow save face by just ignoring your warning about your own product. hashtagThainess

Arrogance. Sheer arrogance on the part of Thai health authorities.

This is not arrogance, this is just greedy and ingnorance about the health of their own ppl.

IMO the importer got some compensation from the USA + some tea money involved, this is just a way to improve profits.

Maybe will be the next topic in the faculties for economy in Thailands Universities.

"How can I turn easily an expected loss into good profit"

Answer: "Cheating the own ppl". as an general rule.

[inaktive]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

what are you talking about? Thailand is much too warm for growing apples just like say Switzerland is too cold for growing coconuts. Each country produces what they have a competitive advantage in. And frankly with the exception of this outbreak American grown produce is generally very safe and trustworthy. Unlike most thai fruits and vegetables which are pumped full of hormones or laced with formaline to prevent decay and increase shelf life.

i am quit sure you could grow some kinds in the Chiang Mai area . But is it worth the trouble when you can import them for cheap ?

I'm not so sure about that. Chiang Mai is still too warm, there's not enough winter chill and I'm not sure if apples would survive the brutal heat of March to may not to mention the the tremendous amount of rain during the rainy season. Even if highland areas could grow them the problem is lack of available land; most of what isn't located inside a national park has been set aside for tea and coffee production. Also china is a cheap source of apples - they are the world's biggest producers these days and not far away from Thailand.

Your can grow some kinds of apples even on the Bahamas so i think Chiang Mai would work as well ;-)

The same as Southern Spain and the Middle east where it gets 40+ Degrees C in Summer too

But i do think its not worth the effort because they can make more money growing other stuff.

also unrelated to if you can i am very sure how the thinking of the officials is now:

We will get our Money back from the US Salescompany because they recall them AND we sell them .. double the Profit !

[willyumiii]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

Have you grown apples in Thailand?

Where do they have the climate?

Apples require a cold dormant period.

[dean008]

i am pretty sure that yesterday they said no apples will have reached thailand because they were still en route. They seem to have got here very quickly. The thai authorities appear to love the publicity and want there 5 mins of fame

[attento]

The Missus and I buy apples every week to eat and never had a problem. She does wash and core each apple into slices and places the slices into a bowl of purified water and a pinch of salt to rest for about 2-3 minutes before consuming. Never had a problem. She soaks the same with a pinch of salt for Black Grapes that come from India. No problem with them either. In all actuality, we have never had any problem with any fruit She purchases, perhaps due to the fact She hand selects each piece, except the 3 Kg bags of oranges/tangerines that She purchases, that originate from China. Who knows? Lucky Perhaps?

When she is hand-selecting, how does she test for the type of Bacterial contamination reported in this US warning ?

Stay lucky

[djjamie]

First rice and now apples!

Luckily "TOPS" supermarket have imported Australian apples and Vietnamese rice.

[ikke]

America:

The apples we gave you could kill someone

Thailand:

Nah. In my twisted imagination I need to somehow save face by just ignoring your warning about your own product. hashtagThainess

Arrogance. Sheer arrogance on the part of Thai health authorities.

No, not arrogance, just the Thai FDA have no clue about food safety, if you bribe them, you can bring shit on the market and state it is chocolate....

[Lite Beer]

Listeriosis-associated apple detected in Thailand

BANGKOK, 17 January 2015 (NNT) – Thai authorities have confirmed the existence of Listeriosis-associated apples imported from the United States to Thailand, advising the public to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before consumption.

The Director-General of the Department of Medical Science (DMSC) Apichai Mongkol have addressed the warning issued from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the recall of the apples from Bidart Bros. as the FDA have confirmed a contamination of Listeriosis outbreak in the apples. Health effects from the consumption or physical contact can result in death.

He has said that the FDA has issued a warning to Thailand that some of the affected produce were transported to Thailand and the neighbouring countries and might cause harm to the public.

Produce contaminated by Listeriosis have been confirmed in Thailand at the Laem Chabang port in Rayong province through a cargo vessel, as warned in the FDA’s document.

The DMSC Director-General has pointed that infection from the Listeriosis bacteria is most potent through consumption. Listeriosis related infection can cause symptoms such as septicaemia, meningitis, confusion, stiffness in the neck, loss of balance, seizure, and could lead to coma conditions or even be fatal.

This bacteria is particularly dangerous to children, the elderly, and pregnant women. The infection of this bacteria in pregnant persons can cause miscarriage as the bacteria develops well in the amniotic fluid, said the DMSC Director-General.

The DMSC Director-General has said that the Listeriosis is not a new kind of bacteria in Thailand and the authorities have been constantly monitoring cases of outbreaks. However, this bacteria has not caused much trouble in Thailand as the public usually thoroughly washes fruits and vegetables before eating.

He has also encouraged the public to make sure that the apples have been washed before consumption to prevent the risk of an infection.

-- NNT 2015-01-18

[zaphod reborn]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

Thai apples are terrible. A lot of Thai attempts at growing non-native fruits and vegetables are inferior, like strawberries, other berries, celery and plums.

The tainted fruit came from one factory in SoCal that distributes candy apples. They just need to pull those products off the shelf, not cause a panic.

Edited January 18, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[NiwPix]

I just checked the apples I have. They're Granny Smith and have a sticker saying "Le Crunch". Any idea where they're from? I tried google and couldn't find an answer. I bought them at Makro if that helps too.

[wilgoster]

Thx for the post; gonna ask the missus t'wash dem globes wit dish soap and rinse well, as she may already do. Gonna keep eatin' dem pro forma.

[Tomtomtom69]

why does Thailand not grow their own apples - in fact there are probably many fruits and veg that Thailand could be growing rather than importing as they have the climate

Looks like you are a rocket scientist in growing apples, thailand having not so much regions to growing apples, caused of their climate.

Some regions in the north would be possible, but have to prove every place, also about soil conditions, raining etc. and then decide and test what kind of apples would growing the best in every location.

Exactly. But as mentioned in my previous post, even if some of the higher elevation areas would be suitable for apple production, those areas are either national parks or devoted to tea (and to a lesser extent coffee) production.

Locals in places like Mae Salong who originated from Yunnan in China at the end of the Chinese revolution in 1949 are used to growing tea. They aren't going to switch to producing apples, which take many years just to produce their first crop. Myself and my team already investigated growing warm-climate blueberries in northern Thailand around 2011 - but nobody was interested and when I considered the climate figures and lack of space available to grow them, we decided to give up. Vietnam, perhaps parts of northern Laos and southern China are better for blueberry production than Thailand. The same can be said about apples. China is the world's biggest producer and one of the biggest areas of production is at Zhaotong, 2000m above sea level in the northern part of Yunnan province. The weather there is fairly dry, with much lower average annual humidity than in Thailand. Rainfall is much lower and average temperatures in winter range from slightly below freezing to 10-15 degrees during the day and up to 25-27 degrees in summer.

Compare and contrast those conditions to anywhere in Thailand and I can't think of one place with similar weather save for the mountaintops, which as mentioned are either located in national parks or are full of other crops and unsuitable for anything more than perhaps experimental production of other crops such as apples, but no one is interested.

[weegee]

Gee...I thought they were talking about a brand of Diesel Engine....lol...(Engineers would understand what i mean)...

[ThaiWest]

Hum.... Ya' got to wonder why the US FDA would issue a warning on their own produce if there wasn't some problems with it? Get real! What would be the point?

[Sviss Geez]

I'm guessing most apples in Thailand are not eaten by Thai's. I've never seen a Thai buy or eat an apple. Perhaps a Thai spouse will eat an apple, don't know how they are viewed by Thai higher ups.

How would you explain why every single supermarket in Thailand that, obviously, have a much higher percentage of Thai customers than foreigners sell so many varieties of apple?

[davidmann]

when i asia why not eat asian fruit ,for me very tasty ,when in the west eat western fruit also very tasty when fresh

[Dah fahrang]

How do you inspect every apple to make sure it is safe ? No more apples for me thank you.

Don't deny yourself this pleasure. Remember the old childhood saying: "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".

Try switching to New Zealand apples, or those from the EU (France). Readily available, quite often juicier than the US varieties.

Granny Smith.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I just checked the apples I have. They're Granny Smith and have a sticker saying "Le Crunch". Any idea where they're from? I tried google and couldn't find an answer. I bought them at Makro if that helps too.

France?

Edited January 18, 2015 by rickirs

[Mot Dang]

Hum.... Ya' got to wonder why the US FDA would issue a warning on their own produce if there wasn't some problems with it? Get real! What would be the point?

Your dead right ! US FDA don't stuff about like the Thai FDA. "This is not a drill". Listen and learn Thai FDA, the US FDA are international experts, even though sometimes they behave like big-heads in the field.

I'm sure going to wash all my fruit, either from street stalls or from Villa, from now on. After all it's not too difficult is it ?

Edited January 18, 2015 by Mot Dang

[maidee]

so, usefull info please

they deliver to whom ? big c ? tesco ? villa market ? makro ???