Somtam lovers warned

[Thaivisa News]

ฺBangkok:- The Disease Control Department has now warned people to be cautious about eating Somtam, the country’s famous Spicy Papaya Salad.

With rising temperature, foods are quick to rot and some dishes carry a higher risk of causing gastrointestinal tract disease than others. The issue is quite a big deal given that 247,212 people already came down with diarrhea in Thailand during the first quarter of this year. Of them, three died.

To address the risks, the Disease Control Department has now identified 10 dishes that people should beware.

In addition to Somtam, the list also includes Spicy Minced Pork with Vegetables, Dessert with Coconut Milk, Spicy Small Raw Prawns, Spicy Cockles, Fried Rice with Crab Meat, Thai Vermicelli, Oily Rice with Chicken, Salads, and Substandard Ice.

“Summer has always seen the highest incidences of gastrointestinal tract diseases. That’s why people should now be more careful about their food,” Disease Control Department’s director general Dr Sopon Mekton told Thairath.

He said last year, food poisoning caused one death and diarrhea killed eight others.

Sopon added that to avoid food poisoning and diarrhea, people should eat food within four hours since it was cooked.

This means people should check well when buying ready-to-eat food too.

“Due to the long holiday period of Songkran, restaurants usually stock a huge amount of food,” Sopon warned.

Dr Opart Karnkawinpong, deputy director general at the same department, advised people to heat the ready-to-eat food they had bought before starting their meal.

[Costas2008]

The only problem I ever encountered, in 8 years, after eating Som Tam, is the burning ring when I go to the toilet.

As about the "This means people should check well when buying ready-to-eat food too."

How the heck do you check the food?

The food will check you out, a little later if no good.

[ourmanflint]

Som Tam Thai I would guess is pretty innocuous, but Som Tam Bpu? How anyone eats that is beyond me

[zaphod reborn]

So, instead of emphasizing the need for proper food preparation and storage practices by food vendors, the agency just warns people not to eat these items when the weather is hot. Thainess defined.

[ratcatcher]

The only problem I ever encountered, in 8 years, after eating Som Tam, is the burning ring when I go to the toilet.

As about the "This means people should check well when buying ready-to-eat food too."

How the heck do you check the food?

The food will check you out, a little later if no good.

".........is the burning ring when I go to the toilet."

Yes, thanks Costas, didn't Johnny Cash sing about his ring of fire?

[alocacoc]

Somtam smells all the time like rotten food.

[trogers]

The only problem I ever encountered, in 8 years, after eating Som Tam, is the burning ring when I go to the toilet.

As about the "This means people should check well when buying ready-to-eat food too."

How the heck do you check the food?

The food will check you out, a little later if no good.

Avoid displayed cooked food altogether, esp those being sold at roadsides.

[seajae]

got a belly full of it recently, not nice, was game to leave the house for a few days

[LuckyLew]

So, instead of emphasizing the need for proper food preparation and storage practices by food vendors, the agency just warns people not to eat these items when the weather is hot. Thainess defined.

of course, do not blame the person making and selling it ... blame the person eating eat ... do you not know about "Thainess" yet .. you must be new here 555

[cmiuc]

a lil mexican heartburn does everyone some good yes?

[lostinisaan]

Thai Vermicelli is indeed something I'll never ever eat again. Had some of this food in Prchuap Khiri Khan, about 11 years ago and Montezuma's revenge had me for a few days,

Be warned,,,

[oneday]

Are these people just plain stupid or what?

You don't tell people to stop eating food they love, because they won't.

What you do is instruct them in the proper handling of that food and you do it in such a way that it fits with what the reality is in their lives. The plain fact is many people in Thailand cannot afford refrigerators so figure out a set of instructions that fits their lifestyle and their circumstances.

[JAG]

got a belly full of it recently, not nice, was game to leave the house for a few days

Somtam or Ghandis revenge?

[johnnytuc]

I gave up eating Thai food years ago, cant remember having an upset stomach since, whereas my Thai girlfriend, insists on eating that deadly Pappaya salad

and will not accept that it is the cause of her frequent painful squits, heard a rumour the state of Texas were considering importing Pappaya salad in bulk, as an alternative to lethal injection

[SiSePuede419]

I eat somtam all the time. No problem.

In fact, I have the opposite problem: constipation.

I think it's the noodles. Maybe they add glue as a cheap filler...

[Baerboxer]

Som Tam Thai I would guess is pretty innocuous, but Som Tam Bpu? How anyone eats that is beyond me

I like all the variations - especially som tam bpoo phra raa.

I just love those little crabs, that unique fermented preserved fish flavor. I eat spicier than Mrs. BB too. Even many of my Thai friends don't like that.

All down to personal taste.

[chaiyapoon]

Plenty of thai food has no issues at all. I've eaten huge quantities over the last 12 years with no real problems .I like somtam thai but as they use the same pot for regular somtam some of the pla and chilli juice is going to get left over for mine so half expect problems but so far ok.

What I don't understand is are they saying a few more degrees of hot weather if going to further

increase the risk.

Don't see it getting any worse for that as the damage if any is already done with the high temperatures here anytime !!!!

[MagicMaxim]

Somtam is devil food made by Thais for Thais or masochists. Burned my mouth apart trying a bit of my girlfriend's. And I have never had squits like I have had in Thailand before. Got so sick I had to stop the car immediately by the side of the road jump out and puke. Having said that I have eaten at her family's home and had some amazing food in LOS.

[Daniel Ingalls]

.........Going back to the 1970's while working at the US Army Hospital in Bangkok Sukumvit Road Soi 63, they at one time delivered block Ice from the ice factory. Back then they used the husks of milled rice to cover the ice so it would not melt so fast during the hot season. At the Hospital it was quickly realized that field rats urinated on the husks, and the ice in the coolers. Several people got sick at the Hospital using the infected ice. Today, I don't think they use rice husks anymore.

More importantly look at the people who are making, serving the meals you order on the street. Are their hands clean? Watch the operation in full swing, Do they meet your sanitary standards? If not.....move on. There is nothing like a Klongtoi

belly to ruin your day/week!

[wabothai]

Most of Thailand loves and eats this stuff (not me) and here is this idiot

warning for the possible nasty results of eating the stuff when it is hot.

Eat your foot man !!

[Pinot]

Some one told me rice is the leading cause of food poisoning. It often sits around all day, seems reasonable.

The way I look at it, if someone is serving bad food everyone is going to know about it. I rarely eat farang food but need the occasional Big Mac.

I eat Thai food almost exclusively. The exception is som tam. My girl tells me the secret to som tam is the sauce has to be boiled. She has her special sauce mailed down to her from Udon to here in Phuket. Udon Thani makes the best sauce, don't you know. There were six women around the lunch table at noon today so I guess there something to that.

[Local Drunk]

Khai Kem is my favorite Som Tam with Lab Moo on the side. If you really want it right you need to the northeast.

[ToddinChonburi]

Maybe he could warn about eating roadside chicken on really windy days also.

[Skywalker69]

Som Tam Thai I would guess is pretty innocuous, but Som Tam Bpu? How anyone eats that is beyond me

Bpoo bplaa pet pet.

[Barin]

Somtam smells all the time like rotten food.

This is the smell of Pala Water, no problem.

Somtam is safe to eat as soon as you don't remove chili.

Chili will kill the bad bacteria in your stomach.

This is a good antiseptic.

[Travel Dude]

I never had any problem till the day I ate Hor Mok, sea food in a curry patty in a coconut. It was a special promotion, as what later appeared to be dishes that had to go...

Cause indeed it made me go. 10 days of toilet and vomiting. High Fever, warm and cold... A very heavy food poisoning it was. Since then I have stayed sensitive and my belly is attacked once a month....

[maidee]

maybe they can teach in school

basic personal & food hygiene

seeing all the guys comming out of the crapper and putting some water on their hair, i don't really thing they have clean hands...

if you see they wear a restaurant uniform, better avoid FOREVER

[tifino]

if more-chili is the antidote, then Som Tam Isaan is the best...

but I'd still prefer som tam puu nim ( - at least the puu is cooked)

either way, som tam (insert whatever version here) gives me my well-in-excess-of-RDA of peanut

[ggt]

If you watch them make it...make sure they do not put those nasty little black hermit crabs in the salad...they crush them up uncooked and there is no way of knowing the amount to bacteria they take to your table...

[tifino]

...and those little crabs are pitifully small yet demand a premium price

again, I reckon that Isaan version with the little crab would kill off any bacteria