Police and officials from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) and the Livestock Development Department seized 20 Chinese-made food products, including 1,440 sausage links, in a raid on a building in Bangkok’s Prachachuen area yesterday (Thursday).
Officials said that all the products were smuggled into the country and were not approved for sale in Thailand, as they do not carry food labels issued by the TFDA.
Yesterday’s raid was a follow-up action, after the recent seizure of Chinese-made sausages in the luggage of a passenger arriving from China, said an official, adding that the sausage is widely used in a Chinese-style sukiyaki dish, which is popular among Thai consumers.
The sausages are tightly packed in plastic bags of 40g each. They are edible without being cooked and can be kept unrefrigerated for up to six months.
The officials said that they are not available in markets in Thailand, but can be found in border markets in Cambodia and Laos.
Samples of the seized food products have been sent to the Medical Science Department for analysis, to determine whether they contain contaminants or microbes which could be harmful to health.
Smuggling of banned food products into the country is subject to 3 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of 30,000 baht on conviction and, if the products do not carry proper labels providing the required information, the fine is 30,000 baht.
