FDA advises choosing food for Chinese New Year for safety

Bangkok, The FDA recommends tips for buying food to pay respects to sacred things during the Chinese New Year festival, including savory food, sweet food, and auspicious snacks for worshiping. And fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating. Reduce risk from pesticide residues Dr. Narong Aphikulwanich, Secretary-General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that it is close to the important festival of Thai-Chinese people, the Chinese New Year Festival. Every year, Chinese people usually prepare to buy food to pay homage to the gods, to consume, or to pay homage to sacred objects and ancestors, which are mostly savory foods such as pork, duck, chicken, internal organs, or desserts such as Khanom Tian, ??Khanom Khong, Khanom Thua Fu, etc. These foods This is usually cooked in advance. If you are not careful in choosing to buy You may receive food that is not of standard quality and is dangerous for consumption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) therefore recommends that con sumers make purchases. Food during the Chinese New Year Festival as follows in the case of fresh food The type of meat (pork, duck, chicken) must be in normal fresh condition, firm, with a naturally consistent color and odor. No purpura Free from unwanted odors, which the FDA does not allow the use of coloring in all types of meat. Especially the boiled chicken that is commonly used as an offering. In the case of various desserts that will be offered as offerings, such as Khanom Thian, Khanom Kheng, and Khanom Thua Fu, you should choose desserts that are not brightly colored. It has a normal color and flavor. Packaged in clean containers and will not contaminate food. In the case of canned food, you should choose to buy one that looks like the can is in good condition, not dented, swollen, or rusted. The label shows details: the name of the food, the food serial number in the FDA marking frame, and the name and location of the place of production. or importer and country of manufacture, net weight, important components Date, month and year of manufacture and expiration, and in the case of fruits and vegetables such as oranges, you should choose to buy fresh, clean ones and should wash them before consuming. Consumers can reduce the residue of pesticides by washing with baking soda. Or ½ tablespoon of baking soda per 10 liters of water, soak for about 15 minutes, then rinse with water. Or rinse with 1 tablespoon of vinegar per 4 liters of water, soak for about 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water. The Secretary-General of the FDA said at the end that the FDA has always inspected, monitored, and collected samples of vegetable and fruit products. In 2024, it went to random areas to collect samples to check for pesticides in 30 fruits and vegetables. For example, no pesticides were found in 22 samples, and test results for another 8 samples are pending. If consumers see health products that are not up to standard or are not safe for consumption, Please make a complaint at the FDA Hotline, Tel. 1556 or E-mail: 155 6@fda.moph.go.th. or Provincial Public Health Offices throughout the country. Source: Thai News Agency