Three government agencies
are joining forces in working out the standards of Thai rice products on a full-cycle
basis to create confidence in food safety.
The three agencies, namely
the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives, on 18 December 2013 discussed ways to add value
to Thai rice products by upgrading their standards.
The discussion is part of
efforts to promote Thailand as the “Kitchen of the World.” In working out the
standards of Thai rice and products, the three agencies will jointly look at
all processes involved, such as rice cultivation, rice milling, packaging,
quality control on rice products sold in the market, and local and
international marketing.
In this regard, the
Ministry of Public Health has come up with three levels of standards in terms
of quality and food safety. They include standard, premium, and luxury levels.
Apart from rice, the standards of other products, such as seafood, will also be
worked out.
The Food and Drug
Administration, under the Ministry of Public Health, has checked at random rice
products sold in the market on a continual basis in order to set safety
standards and ensure that there is no contamination. These products should be
upgraded to the primary good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. GMP is a
component of quality assurance at the processing level to warrant that products
are consistently produced and controlled to meet the quality standards
appropriate to their intended use.
Defined by law and under
surveillance of the Ministry of Public Health, GMP comprises seven categories:
locations and buildings; equipment and machinery; production and processing
control; sanitation; maintenance and cleaning; personnel; and sanitary
operations. These categories also cover operations in food production,
packaging, and storage under sanitary conditions to safeguard against
contamination as well as health hazards, and to ensure safe consumption.
Regarding the production
process, relevant agencies will work in an integrated manner to require raw
materials passing through rice mills to be up to the primary good agricultural
practice (GAP), set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
GAP is a guideline for any
production system at farm level to obtain agricultural products of good quality
that meet required standards. Key aspects of GAP include soil and water
management, pest control, chemical residue checking, harvesting and processing
at farm level, good storage, waste management, proper animal husbandry, health
awareness, occupational safety, and biodiversity conservation.
Farmers and rice millers will
be encouraged to adjust themselves to the standards. The upgrading of the
standards will benefit both rice consumers and producers.
(thailand.prd.go.th)