Foreign juice vendors inspected in Bangkok swoop

[webfact]

Foreign juice vendors inspected in Chinatown swoop


Image: Manager Online

BANGKOK: -- A large entourage of public officials swooped on juice vendors selling drinks in Yaowarat Tuesday night.

The action by 50 trading standards, food and drug administration officials and police came after complaints about the foreigners were made to the government's Damrongtham Centre website reported Manager Online.

Samples of orange juice and pomegranate juice were taken from several vendors to check that it was genuine juice and to ascertain if it had illegal additives. The lab will report on its findings within a week.

Complaints had been made that some twenty foreign owned carts had been causing traffic congestion and had been blocking the footpath. Six vendors were found to be operating their businesses without the appropriate licenses and face charges.

Source: Manager Online

-- 2016-05-25

[webfact]

Fake orange juice seizure raises public awareness and state actions



BANGKOK: -- The arrest of four Vietnamese vendors selling fake orange juices in Saraburi not only raise public awareness of buying the plastic bottles drinks on streets, but also prompt labour officials to tighten control on foreign workers granted working permits in the country.

Now labour officials are out to make sure these workers, especially from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam do the job exactly as specified in their work permits.

They are not allowed to do other jobs that are reserved for Thais by law, such as food vendors.

Meanwhile the seizure of fake bottled orange juices sold by foreign vendors has taken toll on vendors selling plastic bottled juices on the streets.

Many vendors now reported sharp drop in the selling of bottled juices, not only orange, after news of selling fake orange juice by a Vietnamese couple went viral on the social media.

Now regular customers were hesitated to buy but would ask if the juice was real orange, one street vendor complained.

In response to public suspicion of how to differentiate real and fake orange juice, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has given some recommendations to consumers.

FDA deputy secretary general Dr Phaisal Dunkum recommended that the public should observe the label on the bottle before purchasing bottled juices.

The bottle should show the FDA label and consumers should also inquire from the seller about how and where the orange juice was sourced.

Notice on the label that 100% real orange juice should not have any food preservatives in their ingredients.

The color of the juice itself should not be too dark and the taste should be naturally sweet nor have any artificial sweeteners of any kind.

But the FDA deputy chief admitted that this is very difficult for consumers to do but he recommended this for the consumer’s safety.

He said the FDA does not prohibit adding artificial colouring, sweeteners nor other additives but should not exceed the limit.

In addition to safety, he said the question of hygiene is also a concern.

Most orange juice vendors sell on the streets or markets where preparation of the juice can be easily contaminated.

The public should become more informed and cautious the next time they buy their juice. They should be more discerning who they buy from and be careful of how it was prepared.

The public could also send samples to the FDA if they are not sure of the juice they bought and drank.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/164711


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-25

[midas]

the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) should simultaneously examine and determine the authenticity of that syrupy substance sold on the streets that is described as honey

[djayz]

What a farce!

[NextStationBangkok]

Around central world area the Pomegranate juices sold are mostly fake. If the seller is not making in front of your eyes, especially outside Wat Prathumwan. I am sure they are not harmful as it smells like Tipco juice, but the amount we pay Baht 50 per small bottle is for fresh Pomegranate not for Tipco.

[thai3]

Only foreigners do this kind of thing, real cheating is reserved for Thais only

[jaltsc]

"He said the FDA does not prohibit adding artificial colouring, sweeteners nor other additives but should not exceed the limit."

In other words, it's OK to sell an artificial product as long as it meets the FDA's definition of artificial, which is the same as the FDA's definition of "Pure & Natural".

Edited May 25, 2016 by jaltsc

[inzman]

I see it's foreign people. I didn't think a thai would do that.

[WhizBang]

A lot of emphasis on foreign juice vendors, but nary a word on checking Thai vendors. Thais wouldn't sell fake juice, right?

The FDA spokesman says for customers to check the label on the bottle. What label? The bottles of orange juice I have seen being sold have no labels.

[colinneil]

Plenty of oranges going cheap at the docks.

[webfact]

Fake OJ Prompts Nationwide Crackdown, Social Media Panic
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Officers from the Interior Ministry raid foreign juice sellers Tuesday evening on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok.

BANGKOK — Sold on nearly every street for about 20 baht, plastic bottles of orange juice are as ubiquitous as coffee and muu ping.

Following the discovery of a fake orange juice ring allegedly run by a Vietnamese couple, health officials yesterday announced they would inspect orange juice operations across the country.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1464154360

-- Khaosod English 2016-05-25

[Mook23]

Pesky aliens. Thai no cheat. Thai honest people. 555

[Scouse Twoccer]

the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) should simultaneously examine and determine the authenticity of that syrupy substance sold on the streets that is described as honey

Why? You keep posting about this so what is it if it's not honey, you must know?

[kingalfred]

Ah. Thais can as much foul disgusting poisonous crap as they want on the streets,but "foreigner" , The wrath of bullshit rains down!

Edited May 25, 2016 by kingalfred

[Mook23]

Fake OJ Prompts Nationwide Crackdown, Social Media Panic...

Hub of crackdowns. Fake juice has been around for ages in los. Why now? Lol.

[Scouse Twoccer]

*removed*

Nice name you chose, let's see how long it lasts, troll.

[cdnvic]

*removed*

Nice name you chose, let's see how long it lasts, troll.

Why on earth would you quote it and double his impact then?

[macksview]

the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) should simultaneously examine and determine the authenticity of that syrupy substance sold on the streets that is described as honey

crack down on the bottom feeders again

honey, is another lottery in thailand, most is rubbish.

took wife's parents to a honey vendor in aus, they raved about it, wife chatted to the vendor and explained about fake thai honey, vendor was shocked it could happpen like that.

2 kilos of honey is now on wife's must take home shopping list.

[anon467367354]

how is it that foreigners are allowed to do this job? Aren't they taking away jobs from the Thai people or does only pertain to farangs?

[Kasset Tak]

People get what they want!
Last week I brought a liter of 100% fresh squeezed OJ (squeezed it my self in the morning) to work, my Thai coworkers tasted it but they did not like my OJ because it was not sweet... they wanted to ad sugar! Same this week when I made a mango "juice" with about 40% mango, 1% lime juice and 59% water (I use the flesh of the mango fruit so it need a lot of water or else it's just mango puree), I even let 100 g dried stevia leafs soak in the water over night just to make it more sweet without adding sugar but still they were complaining "Mai wan, mai aloi! (Not sweet, not delicious.)".

[pkspeaker]

speaking of fake orange juice, it seems that premium Tipco Valencia OJ I buy.. they have 2 versions the normal valencia and the premium which is is 10-20baht more expensive.. lately it has a much more 'tang' taste to it.. i think there is a shortage of those oranges and they are mixing more and more sugar into the product..

[mcfish]

How about a rubber dildo and explicit boom boom DVD covers?

[Oxx]

Notice on the label that 100% real orange juice should not have any food preservatives in their ingredients.

The color of the juice itself should not be too dark and the taste should be naturally sweet nor have any artificial sweeteners of any kind.

I find the litre cartons of fruit juice sold in supermarkets rather suspicious. There's one brand of Sai Nam Phueng orange juice that is suspiciously sweet - nothing like any freshly squeezed orange juice I've ever tasted. And then there's the Strawberry juice. Strawberries here are very expensive. How can they possibly produce a litre of juice for a mere 85 baht (and until recently more cheaply)?

[mcfish]

Same "orange juice " thats included in the free hotel breaky buffets.(excluding 5 star)

[losworld]

Yes people don't realize that most milk they buy in Thailand is powdered mix and probably the same for orange juice. Thai FDA that is a true oxymoron right up there with "Mexican border".

[SOTIRIOS]

....what nonsense...

...their way only....

...the 'foreigners' got ripped off being sold fake juice...

...and then get ripped off with charges against them....

...and 'suddenly' the Thais are concerned about 'congestion'....

...really putrid hearts and minds....some might say....

[adammike]

Notice on the label that 100% real orange juice should not have any food preservatives in their ingredients.

The color of the juice itself should not be too dark and the taste should be naturally sweet nor have any artificial sweeteners of any kind.

I find the litre cartons of fruit juice sold in supermarkets rather suspicious. There's one brand of Sai Nam Phueng orange juice that is suspiciously sweet - nothing like any freshly squeezed orange juice I've ever tasted. And then there's the Strawberry juice. Strawberries here are very expensive. How can they possibly produce a litre of juice for a mere 85 baht (and until recently more cheaply)?

Read the label,here in the Netherlands bottles of juice with pomegranate in giant letters on the label but when you read the list of ingredients it's made with 85% applejuice,guacamole list of ingredients

States that it contains less than 1% avocado and that's from the ground down pit and it was from the leading supermarket,though I have never noticed a label on the bottles on the street,

Edited May 25, 2016 by adammike

[cpofc]

Yes people don't realize that most milk they buy in Thailand is powdered mix and probably the same for orange juice. Thai FDA that is a true oxymoron right up there with "Mexican border".

Hmmmm would you mind elaborating please? I consider myself to be almost in the category of a 'Connoisseur' when it comes to Cow's Juice. I drink an average of 2 Litres per day. Love the stuff. Have done so all my life. I drink it plain too, with only the occasional chocolate or coffee flavoured variety when I get the urge. Fresh milk here such a Meiji is as good as any produced in Australia IMHO. I know powdered milk when I drink it! I was a seagoing sailor for many years in this part of the world during the 70s & 80s. I was actually at sea when UHT Milk was 'invented' and unleased on the public. We found that almost as bad as powdered milk. The first thing I would do when we hit our first port in Australia on our way home from the far east would be to jump off the ship and go get some fresh milk.

So, if you would, please, give me a 'heads up' as to which brands you reckon are fake.

As for the OJ. Why does it seem that the poorer immigrants from the less well off countries around them are taking over the business. Possbily, like other menial jobs in the Kingdom. As the Thais have become a more affluent society, they don't want to do these jobs themselves any more.

I am always wary when the OJ vendor asks if I want 'pulp' with that?

[Oxx]

Notice on the label that 100% real orange juice should not have any food preservatives in their ingredients.

The color of the juice itself should not be too dark and the taste should be naturally sweet nor have any artificial sweeteners of any kind.

I find the litre cartons of fruit juice sold in supermarkets rather suspicious. There's one brand of Sai Nam Phueng orange juice that is suspiciously sweet - nothing like any freshly squeezed orange juice I've ever tasted. And then there's the Strawberry juice. Strawberries here are very expensive. How can they possibly produce a litre of juice for a mere 85 baht (and until recently more cheaply)?

Read the label,here in the Netherlands bottles of juice with pomegranate in giant letters on the label but when you read the list of ingredients it's made with 85% applejuice,guacamole list of ingredients

States that it contains less than 1% avocado and that's from the ground down pit and it was from the leading supermarket,though I have never noticed a label on the bottles on the street,

Actually, for the two examples I cited the labels state 100% juice. I know that some other juices, such as raspberry, are mostly grape/apple juice.

However, here, unlike the Netherlands, the labels can be staggeringly inaccurate. A remember reading a Heinz tomato ketchup label here where the stated ingredients only totalled around 80%.

[Oxx]

Yes people don't realize that most milk they buy in Thailand is powdered mix and probably the same for orange juice. Thai FDA that is a true oxymoron right up there with "Mexican border".

Oh, not this old canard again. Absolute tosh, tommyrot and balderdash.

I bet you can't produce a single shred of solid evidence for the milk assertion.

In fact, Thailand is such a major fresh milk producer that it exports it to Singapore (as I read in yesterday's Bangkok Post).