The Thai Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) has made sure that a new 6.9-tonne shipment of Chinese Shine Muscat grapes, worth about three million baht, is safe for consumption after testing the fruit for dangerous chemical residues.
TFDA Deputy Secretary-General Lertchai Lertvut said that the shipment was held for random tests for chemical residues on Tuesday, before it was allowed into the country. The tests show that chemical residues do not exceed permitted levels.
He also said that the TFDA has increased testing of imported vegetables and fruit, to ensure that they are safe for consumption and that importers of unsafe agricultural products will face legal action and their products will be banned.
Even though the products have passed rigorous testing, the TFDA deputy secretary-general advised consumers soak them in water mixed with baking soda or sodium bicarbonate for about 15 minutes and rinse them in running water for another 30 seconds.
Shine Muscat grapes imported from China have been found to contain excessive levels of dangerous chemical residues in recent tests conducted by Thai PAN, a private organisation dedicated to protecting consumers from dangerous chemicals found in foods and farm products.
The findings caused public alarm and rejection of Chinese Shine Muscat grapes, resulting in financial losses by many vendors.
