Following reports of pesticide contamination, the firm tests 7 kilograms of imported Shine Muscat grapes.
PUBLISHED: 8 Nov 2024 at 20: 59
The Thai Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) is concerned about recent reports of chemical contamination, so the imports of Shine Muscat grapes have all met food safety standards.
Last Tuesday, the agency’s food and drug inspection division seized 6.93 tonnes of the grapes, which were worth$ 3 million, in order to conduct chemical residue testing under the Hold Test Release protocol.
The fruits met all regulation requirements, so the FDA approved them for trade and regional sales, assistant director-general Lertchai Lertvut said on Friday.
The Thailand Consumers Council reported last month that 23 of the 24 Shine Muscat grape samples contained dangerous chemical contaminants that were beyond the permitted constitutional limit. Some had been contaminated with endrin carbonyl and chlorpyrifos, which are prohibited in Thailand’s food safety regulations.  ,
Mr. Lertchai claimed that the FDA has strict inspection procedures for imported fruits and vegetables, including a maintain test release, where samples are taken within 24 hours of being shipped to an ISO 17025-certified lab for testing for agrarian chemical residue.
If toxins exceed safety levels, the items may be banned from entering the country, and legitimate action will be taken, Mr Lertchai said.
Importers should be careful to make sure imported produce is compliant with Thai law and comes from licensed sources, according to the FDA.
More random and strange tests may be conducted at FDA gates, he said, and conversations may be held with foreign embassies to ensure the safety of imported goods.
Users are advised to wash imported produce for at least 30 hours in running water before rubbing it for at least 15 days.