Yingluck insisted on Wednesday that tests by agencies under the Thai Ministry of Public Health also meet the standard of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
In response to complaints about residue on packed Thai rice, Yingluck told reporters that she has asked the Foundation for Consumers to coordinate its tests with the Ministry of Public Health to ensure standard tests.
The prime minister also urged that concerned parties not to make assumption that the problem happened to all Thai rice, as it could affect Thailand’s rice exports and farmers’ incomes and people stop further distributing any confusing information.
Regarding the Foundation for Consumers’ report Tuesday on excessive fumigant residue on packed rice of the Co-co brand, Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintawanarong acknowledged, meanwhile, that he has ordered his ministry’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check the manufacturer of the rice brand in Bangkok’s Bang Na-Trat area and for officials to conduct more random tests on rice.
The Thai health minister encouraged people to send requests for such tests to the FDA and the Department of Medical Science, while, in the long run, he will order the FDA to impose the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standard on packed rice within five months.
– BERNAMA
