Does Thailand have a meat or food inspection department?

[watcharacters]

 

I recall a restaurant owner in another SEA country telling me there was no inspection department after I asked him about seeing purple meat in a  shop.

 

Are meat and food purchases left up to hope and faith (merit)?

 

Is that a Nanny State  kind of thing?

[grumbleweed]

Yes,  head office is in Never Never land. Head of department: Khun S. Pimpernel 

 

[Estrada]

Yes. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and Ministry of Public Health. In Bangkok, the BMA has occasional clean food campaigns but I don't see much action since the days when Samak was Bangkok Governor. Policing the supermarkets seems to be non-existent in Thailand. Our local Tesco at Seacon often has all manner of insects running around especially cockroaches and occasional rat. Chilled food is often not stored at sufficiently low a temperature. Although the majority of customers uses tongs to handle meat from the open trays, there are still too many who use their dirty hands to pick up meat and toss it around before leaving their germs on the meat for another customer.

 

As for restaurants, I was amazed to see rats running around in the poolside kitchen at the British Club the last time I visited there to do an equipment survey. You never know what the conditions are behind the scenes as the regulations are poorly enforced.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe the food inspection duty is assigned to the same inspectors tasked with preventing speeding drivers on the roads and preventing buildings under construction from collapsing onto themselves.

[catman20]

[silent]

21 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I believe the food inspection duty is assigned to the same inspectors tasked with preventing speeding drivers on the roads and preventing buildings under construction from collapsing onto themselves.

It comes under special investigations

[sirmud63]

yeah , they do ,but they will only act on a complaint .

[puipuitom]

Dr.Tipvon Parinyasiri
Director of Food Control Division  ( at least, in July 25, 2013 
Food and Drug Administration
Tel. (66) 2- 590-7175
Fax (66) 2- 591-8460

 

The division has the main responsibilities for food control are to ensure the quality and safety of food for protecting consumer's health in Thailand according to the Food Act B.E. 2522, such as:

• Setting up food standards and specifications as well as hygienic and labeling requirements;

• Controlling the production and importation of food products;

• Inspecting food manufacturing premises and sellers;

• Conducting sampling and quality assessments of food products;

• Taking legal actions, e.g. seizure, product recalls, prosecution;

• Controlling food-producing plants so that they meet national standards by using GMP;

 

quality and safety of rice,

1. Thai FDA has criteria/std to control for both food-producing plants and the product:

Food-producing plants : Controlling food-producing plants so that they meet national standards by using GMP

Rice : criteria/std for pesticide residue (MRL), comtaminant in food (such as Pb, Hg, As, Cd and Aflatoxin) and for the criteria of yeast and mold follow criteria of Department of medical science (DMSc.)

2. I would like to inform that Thai FDA and DMSc. (the government lab) have been sampling rice and result shown that still in the rang of safety : 

196 samples for Hydrogen phosphine and Bromide ion  (170 samples are in the range of Codex MRL, 1 sample found Bromide ion exceed the codex standard., waiting for the result 25 samples). For case that found Bromide ion exceed the codex std., we withdrawn the product from the market and take legal action to the food producer.

81 samples for Pesticide residue (Organochlorine compounds, Organophosphorus compounds, Carbamates, Synthetic pyrethriod), Comtaminant (Pb, Hg, As, Cd) and Mold and Aflatoxin (21 samples are in the range of std., waiting for the result 60 samples )

And from now, we have 6 months strictly monitoring and will has continuous monitoring program to ensure that the products are in the rang of safety.

3. For the other questions, I’ already contact and fwd your e-mail to the related agencies [(Department of Agriculture (DOA) and National Bureau of Agricultural and Food Standards (ACFS)] to let them know and give you the information.

 

Please ensure that we do our best for safety regulation and till now nothing to concern about the safety of rice in Thailand.

 

[Brer Fox]

4 hours ago, Estrada said:

Yes. The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and Ministry of Public Health. In Bangkok, the BMA has occasional clean food campaigns but I don't see much action since the days when Samak was Bangkok Governor. Policing the supermarkets seems to be non-existent in Thailand. Our local Tesco at Seacon often has all manner of insects running around especially cockroaches and occasional rat. Chilled food is often not stored at sufficiently low a temperature. Although the majority of customers uses tongs to handle meat from the open trays, there are still too many who use their dirty hands to pick up meat and toss it around before leaving their germs on the meat for another customer.

 

As for restaurants, I was amazed to see rats running around in the poolside kitchen at the British Club the last time I visited there to do an equipment survey. You never know what the conditions are behind the scenes as the regulations are poorly enforced.

Not forgetting the klong rat that was spotted a few months back enjoying the donuts at a Tops Supermarket. At least that rat had discerning taste as Tops would have to be the most expensive supermarket chain in Thailand.

[cyberfarang]

The Thailand food inspection department is rather like God.
They are there but no one ever sees them and if they do act on a complaint then it`s considered a miracle.

 

[berybert]

Id imagine a phone call to the food complaints people who be like......

 Me, Hello I have just eaten something bad and would like to complain.

He or she. If it was bad why did you eat it ?

Phone would then be put down.

[elgenon]

Remember Thais eat rats. When in Rome....

 

Do you think the supplies for restaurants are better? Are they inspected?

 

Safe handling. My Thai teacher said don't drink something cooled with chipped ice because the guys walk on the blocks of ice. Rodent droppings on shoes (protein at no extra charge)? She also said seafood is packed for shipping in formaldehyde so you have to be sure the restaurant washes it out completely.

[daveAustin]

16 hours ago, catman20 said:

 

beat me to it but I was going to go like this:

 

Does Thailand have a meat or food inspection department?

 

[little mary sunshine]

Excellent. All beef Graded  " Tough ....or......Uneatable"

[Steiner]

I once worked in restaurant inspections in the UK, I only ever chained one restaurant's doors on the spot.
Now I work in property and I visit a lot of restaurants when they are working, I've never been in a Bkk restaurant that would come close to passing health standards and the vast majority I would chain the doors immediately if I was working in that job here.

Proper storage temperatures, separating uncooked and cooked foods from each other and things like fresh cream and cut fruit, or using different chopping boards for raw meat and salads is practically unheard of.

 

The sheer volume of dishes that are washed in small basins or sinks of cold water and get a minimal rinse (dipped in another small sink or basin of cold greasy soapy water) before being placed in the 'clean' pile is incredible.
I don't eat street food, there is simply no way to guarantee the hygiene of it, and although I know I probably won't get sick, its a hygiene choice for me. And most of it tastes disgusting, dried for hours over a few coals and basted with a perennially topped up and stored in the heat marinade, I'll pass.

 

The amount of putrid food in Tesco and Big C is incredible, I see staff replenishing rows of chicken when there are bloated packets of yellow to green chicken sitting there, it's just that inane laziness and 'not thinking too much' mentality.

Walking through any of the big supermarkets, although Big C is the worst, there is often an area where you can smell rotting meat.

Then again we do live in a 3rd world country...

Edited November 6, 2016 by Steiner

[mki8]

the furthest anyone goes in regards to food inspections

is they print HACCP on the packet (without even knowing what it means)

 

food inspections in Thailand

funniest thing i heard all year

[mki8]

9 minutes ago, Steiner said:

I once worked in restaurant inspections in the UK, I only ever chained one restaurant's doors on the spot.
Now I work in property and I visit a lot of restaurants when they are working, I've never been in a Bkk restaurant that would come close to passing health standards and the vast majority I would chain the doors immediately if I was working in that job here.

Proper storage temperatures, separating uncooked and cooked foods from each other and things like fresh cream and cut fruit, or using different chopping boards for raw meat and salads is practically unheard of.

 

The sheer volume of dishes that are washed in small basins or sinks of cold water and get a minimal rinse (dipped in another small sink or basin of cold greasy soapy water) before being placed in the 'clean' pile is incredible.
I don't eat street food, there is simply no way to guarantee the hygiene of it, and although I know I probably won't get sick, its a hygiene choice for me. And most of it tastes disgusting, dried for hours over a few coals and basted with a perennially topped up and stored in the heat marinade, I'll pass.

 

The amount of putrid food in Tesco and Big C is incredible, I see staff replenishing rows of chicken when there are bloated packets of yellow to green chicken sitting there, it's just that inane laziness and 'not thinking too much' mentality.

Walking through any of the big supermarkets, although Big C is the worst, there is often an area where you can smell rotting meat.

Then again we do live in a 3rd world country...

i bet you have never seen a day dot here LOL

[Steiner]

1 minute ago, mki8 said:

i bet you have never seen a day dot here LOL

Day dot?

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Oh yes,i know one of the public health officers for food,meats and general bacteria prevention.The last time i called him,he asked me if i could call him back,as he was half way through his lunch of raw pork marinated in Pigs blood!

[Speedo1968]

Butterworth in Penang, if I remember correctly, used to shut down street food stalls in the rainy season because of rats.

[fruitman]

It's the same for medicines who have to be stored cool, they keep them at room temperature. The malls turn the aircons off at night so temp. will be around 30 i guess.

 

They also love to print "baked fresh every day" on breadbags but the sticker tells it's 2-3 days old already. Where i come from there is NO bakery selling bread older than 24 hours, it goes to the zoo.

[watcharacters]

On 11/5/2016 at 5:44 PM, sirmud63 said:

yeah , they do ,but they will only act on a complaint .

 

 

I like your reply.  It reminds me of cat on it's back appearing to welcome a stomach scratch only to attack the obliging  participant.    (I happen to like animals including cats)

 

I can just imagine a complaint being filed to some Thai department.   

 

A  follow up would surely result with a notice that Defamation sections 326 - 333  have been seriously violated and penalties will be automatically  forthcoming with or without a trial.   

 

[watcharacters]

20 hours ago, Steiner said:

Day dot?

 

 

For sure.   What the hell is a day dot?

[watcharacters]

 

Nothing is perfect.     Food inspection is a massive task for any country.    The USA was only sparked into acting  regarding food inspection as a result of a book called "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

 

I realize most people on THV have a dislike for the US but I can't imagine anyone would be opposed to having a more positive feeling about the health/hygienic condition  of the food he/she  consumes.

 

As Steiner suggested what goes on behind the scenes can be shocking to some if not most.   

 

One of my favorite restaurants when i lived on the San Francisco peninsula  was Mac Authur Park, a mere stone's throw from Stanford University in Palo Alto.  Excellent food and great atmosphere.   Then one fine Peninsula weather day I read a report that the Mac Authur Park was closed by the health department due to  a potpourri of health issues including rats, insect infestation and unsafe cooking procedures.     And no, it was not a failure to pay Tea money..

Restaurants in California get notices but are rarely closed unless the violation is grievous.

 

Then  on another occasion, I wanted to take my  friends to  Lawry's Restaurant  on La Cienega Blvd.

As a last minute thing, and I can't recall exactly why I checked their health inspection report and it was horrible.     A classy place but crappy standards.   What a shame.

 

An then there's the Empress of China in downtown San Francisco.    

 

Nothing perfect but hopefully places that serve food will at least at all times maintain standards that are healthy and reasonable.    

 

But back to health inspections...

 

 

 

[little mary sunshine]

53 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

For sure.   What the hell is a day dot?

 

 

An an expiration date. Fresh until that date!

[watcharacters]

1 minute ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

An an expiration date. Fresh until that date!

 

And you   get fresh  until that date how from DOT?    I can see date of.. but the rest?

 

It looks like Department of Transportation to me.

[chubby]

Libertarian Party  Utopia  

 

those pesky regulations just ruin "small business" , same with the water regs ....

[IMA_FARANG]

Yes they do.

But as everything in Thailand the devil is in the details, and is dependent on how the laws are monitored and enforced.

This Is Thailand, Stupid (TITS).

 

[watcharacters]

On 11/7/2016 at 11:21 AM, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

An an expiration date. Fresh until that date!

 

Thank you for that,  Mary.  Learn something new each day on THV.     LOL