The Thai Government’s quality mark for fresh fruit and vegetables (Q mark) has come under scrutiny following the results of a sample study by the Thai-Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN), the Bangkok Post has reported.
The testing was based on 138 samples of fresh produce taken from various retail channels in the Greater Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathaniareas during mid-May. The samples were cross-examined for 450 residuesby a lab in the UK.
Thai-PAN revealed over 55 per cent of sampled products branded with the “Q mark” contained “unsafe” residue levels. A further 25 per cent of products marketed as organically certified showed traces of chemical residues.
According to the Bangkok Post report, 46 per cent of sampled produce from modern retail outlets contained residues exceeding safety standards, compared with 48 per cent from fresh or wet markets.
