Vegetables and fruits in student lunches heavily contaminated with toxic chemicals

[balo]

Don

Don't think Thailand is the only country , there's a lot of pesticides in use also in the western world. But in western countries you'll have certified organic farms that can easily be checked m how can we do that in Thailand?  I know there are so called organic farms here but I doubt they are controlled. 

 

[Mia9]

Sad to understand this

[attrayant]

6 hours ago, tagalong said:

Also, is it safe to buy ORGANIC veges?

 

It's a common misconception that so-called organic farming does not use any chemical inputs.  The only restrictions is that pesticides must be naturally-sourced.  This might even be worse, because pesticides that are approved for organic farming are heavy metals (copper sulfate is approved for organic vineyards) and some that are less effective (neem oil, mild acids) and therefor must be applied in greater amounts.  As a side issue, I am not thrilled with organic farming because it's less environmentally friendly, feeds fewer people using the same amount of land and is less sustainable, but that's another topic.

[ravip]

4 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

my wife and i didnt trust the food and now we have our own farm and grow litterally everything and make everything from cakes to chips and sell it all locally. Thai farmers are so pathetic that even the doctors of the deceased warning of dangers isnt enough. These chemicals ARE NOT NEEDED!

These chemicals ARE NOT NEEDED!

 

Who manufacture them? And why?

[Kasset Tak]

They tried to ban some of all these chemicals but when the big players like CP and Mosanto are pushing, then they dropped the bill instead. And this is the reason why I don't eat fruits or vegetables from US, they allow all these chemicals while many of them are banned in Europe as they are just TOXIC CHEMICALS!

[attrayant]

16 minutes ago, ravip said:

These chemicals ARE NOT NEEDED!  Who manufacture them? And why?

 

I had a neighbor visit her friend in France a few months ago.  They went shopping together and my neighbor from the US was horrified at the state of some of the veggies.  Some appeared to be half-eaten or at least nibbled upon, while others were positively riddled with worms.  Here's a picture of a potato and garlic that she shared with me:
 

 

The most unbelievable thing about this adventure is that her French host didn't seem all that bothered by the fact that they had to carve up and throw 50% of their produce into the garbage.  "That's normal", or "it's often like that", my friend was told.  It must be nice to have such a privileged life that you can toss half of your food into the garbage.

 

Bottom line: if you grow food on a farm, something is going to try to eat that food before we do.  You either need to accept a high amount of waste, or have some kind of pest management system.  Making matters worse: pest pressures are greater in tropical regions, requiring more aggressive control methods.

[Monkeyrobot]

Villa supermarket actually sell a product called Vegie wash to wash your fruit and vegie before consumption, it’s like a liquid soap designed to wash of the toxins. 

[johnnysunshine]

Such an old issue!   

I was in the Organic food industry for 30 years and have lived here for 16 years now and I only go where I can buy Organic as there are so many Organic farmers markets, in Chiang Mai at least.   Even then I wash when I get home in baking soda and drop or two of apple cider vinegar to assist.  There are no excuses for poisoning our young ones (or older) and it is partially the farmer's fault but the government could with their power, outlaw these pesticides as they are not required as proven time and time again in other countries and as in the USA, 98% of people were tested with Glysophate residues.    Europe is generally more strict.   

Royal Project does fairly well with quality and Organic as do other natural food stores and lesser so the supermarkets.   Do not think the restaurants where you eat büy only Organic.   Before pesticides were born how do you think people grew veggies and fruits?   Once we all start buying organic the economy of scale turns in favor for us and then pesticide ridden foods will become expensive.   Love and respect your body by purchasing quality.   Your healthy body is your best investment..don't be cheap.

[fruitman]

4 hours ago, balo said:

Don

Don't think Thailand is the only country , there's a lot of pesticides in use also in the western world. But in western countries you'll have certified organic farms that can easily be checked m how can we do that in Thailand?  I know there are so called organic farms here but I doubt they are controlled. 

 

I looked in the Royal Project shop today and they claim their produce is organic..but those letters were not on all the coolers..not sure if all is organic...but i guess so..that Project is one of the big hobbies from the previous King and he wanted to show the Thai how to grow vegetables on a safe good way...well it works very well...the products taste much better than from Makro or so but even they sell vegy from the Royal Project farms.

 

Also in the West we had many scandals about organic labelled products which were not organic after the government tested them...but that become huge scandals and costed many farmers their income or whole farm.

 

If you ever see them you should try the green beans from the Royal Project, they are so nice....with potato and meat plus gravy..I won't need any other green bean in Thailand.

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed.  

 

[hotchilli]

We've know about this issue for years, it's been widely reported many times but nothing ever happens.

Everything is sprayed to hell & back.. many times at a far higher concentrate than the recommended levels.

Look forward to next years post saying the same thing again...

[attrayant]

I'd like to see a response from the Thai regulatory agencies.  Why didn't the newspaper contact them for a rebuttal?  That would be responsible journalism.  I'm not especially enchanted by the groups named in the OP, especially Greenpeace - ugh.  Should have left them out of the picture if they want the article to carry any weight.

[jamesmith]

the farmers behind our house asked me many times if I like some veg from their field, I said no no no because I see them spray and smell the chemical all the time. 

[0815]

14 hours ago, masuk said:

For some years, I have only purchased frozen vegetables from New Zealand, which I know are strictly controlled.    Contaminated vegetables will always be a problem in Thailand until farmers are trained to handle toxic chemicals.

Until big, rich, money hungry companies stop selling this toxic sh*t !

[puipuitom]

16 hours ago, fruitman said:

no coconuts, no durians out of season, no mango's....

Cocnuts grow so high, that the farmers cannot spray it with anything. I buy canned coconut milk, canned mango etc from TH since 1994 and NEVER EVER any pesticide residues were measured.

[Isaandon]

17 hours ago, ezzra said:

In a country where there's total lack of checks and controls as what farmers are spraying their field and orchids with and the unsanitary storage and transportations of said produces, one should be surprise at all to read about such finding and i'm sure that these are only the tip of the iceberg... 

Tip of the iceberg... lettuce. Doesn't surprise me at all. I left dieland 5 years ago. It's the last place I wont to visit. Unfortunately my 8yr old daughter lives in samutprakarn. Need to speak to her mom about this asap. Im feeling a bit sick now. Dieland, failing again. SMH...

[DJ54]

Probably buy from lowest bidders and if you cut quality for price 

thats what happens. I like a nice salad with blue cheese dressing 

but never indulge if I don’t know the place. 

[balo]

1 hour ago, Isaandon said:

Unfortunately my 8yr old daughter lives in samutprakarn. Need to speak to her mom about this asap.

If you are separated from them , do you really think she will listen ? 

Try to tell them to wear a helmet, no need. Tell them not to ride a bike to school because its dangerous, can not. Tell them not to eat salad , can not.  

 

 

[fruitman]

9 hours ago, puipuitom said:

Cocnuts grow so high, that the farmers cannot spray it with anything. I buy canned coconut milk, canned mango etc from TH since 1994 and NEVER EVER any pesticide residues were measured.

They inject the coconuttree's in the stem, same as citrus.....no need to spray.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

22 hours ago, fullcave said:

So, they throw their school children in the back of a pu truck like cattle or mount them to the front of a  motorbike be transported to school where they are givin food loaded with toxic chemicals along with excitotoxins like MSG? Wow, that's amazing. Do they have no common sense? ????

NO