Thailand's FDA strictly inspects US apples due to possible contamination

[webfact]

FDA strictly inspects US apples due to possible contamination
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 19 -- Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced three measures to strictly check apples from the United States and vowed to ban and recall substandard and hazardous products.

Dr Paisarn Dunkum, FDA deputy secretary-general, said his organization responded to the US Food and Drug Administration informing Thailand of its recall of Gala and Granny Smith apples under the brands Granny’s Best and Big B from the Bidart Bros Co.

The US FDA found that touches of the products could be fatal as they were involved in an epidemic of the listeriorsis disease that can harm newborns, pregnant women, the elderly and those with immune deficiency.

The FDA deputy secretary-general said that staff of the FDA’s Laem Chabang checkpoint were checking apples imported from the US. He said that the officials were implementing three measures to cope with the threat.

First, they block Gala and Granny Smith apples carrying the “Granny’s Best” and “Big B” brands from Bidart Bros and will send such products back to their point of origin. Second, officials collect samples of Gala and Granny Smith apples of other brands for examination at the Department of Medical Science. The FDA asks importers of such products to also suspend their sales pending the examination.

Then Thai FDA officials will collect samples of general apples from their checkpoints for examination for the sake of surveillance. The measure will also be conducted with provincial health officials at retail and wholesale markets nationwide for consumer protection.

Dr Paisarn said that the FDA would ban the import of any apples proving to harm consumers. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2015-01-19

[NCC1701A]

you got to be joking, right?

the USA is easily 100 years ahead of Thailand in food handling standards.

could you imagine meat for sale in the USA sitting in the sun all day covered in flies like you see everywhere in Thailand?

Thailand lets focus on being able to drink the tap water without getting violently ill before you go chasing some bad apples.

[Griffo63]

you got to be joking, right?

the USA is easily 100 years ahead of Thailand in food handling standards.

could you imagine meat for sale in the USA sitting in the sun all day covered in flies like you see everywhere in Thailand?

Thailand lets focus on being able to drink the tap water without getting violently ill before you go chasing some bad apples.

[Thai at Heart]

Yesterday it was Mai Bpen arai. What happened?

[Griffo63]

Give them a break. This is an excellent response to a serious problem identified by the "o so perfect' Americans. If they are so good how did these apples get into the food chain in the first place?

[Ceruhe]

This is an excellent response to a serious problem

You mean the "Yea we got the news, we'll check it out" response 2 days ago to a "nothing was wrong, keep going" response yesterday to today's "Ehh I guess we could check it again" response?

There is no "give them a break" as the US FDS dropped the recall on them, might as well just follow suit and get your reimburstment on the first day. But since I have no idea how much money we are talking here, let alone loss/profit/whatever, this is obviously just the "common sense" approach to the matter and not the "logical sense" one.

[Wilsonandson]

Well done Thailand for standing up to the Americans. Thai tropical fruit is world renowned. Shame on the US to tarnish this industry.

[whiteman]

I always eat New Zealand APPLES far better taste and world renowned for clean and green

[ggt]

Once the FDA is done here...I would like them to inspect the present US gov't...there are more than an few bad apples there...

[cardinalblue]

Maybe Thailand could just buff the apples with their formaldehyde containing substance as the local vendors do with an array of other fruits and vegetables?

Now there is a real serious issue that I zero confidence in Thai FDA in effective program management....

CB

[IAMHERE]

Give them a break. This is an excellent response to a serious problem identified by the "o so perfect' Americans. If they are so good how did these apples get into the food chain in the first place?

Most any other nation would never have caught the problem, or just let it slide. Ignorance is bliss.

[IAMHERE]

They find some germs on the apples, more than likely Myanmar germs.

[surangw]

held to the same standards as street food?

[Hamburgler]

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Well done Thailand for standing up to the Americans. Thai tropical fruit is world renowned. Shame on the US to tarnish this industry.

Did you bother reading the first sentence of the article? The US FDA discovered the problem and informed Thailand. This is a case of two FDAs working together, no standing up to anyone involved. Back to your comic books now.

[glitteratzzi]

oh my goodness! I'm from america and please please... do not eat anything from there!! everything has been genetically modified and over time is fatal to your health.. I bet these apples are no different! I avoid any products from there at all costs! especially meat! yuck!