BANGKOK, 26 July 2013 Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach has inspected packed rice for chemical residue, while trying to regain buyers’ confidence in the quality of Thai rice.
Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong has led a team of the Internal Trade Department, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Medical Sciences, and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), to randomly inspect packed rice sold in Tesco Lotus. According to the deputy minister, rice will be randomly inspected weekly, assuring consumers that inspections will be carried out based on fact and quality standard.
The deputy minister has also urged those ill-intended people who have been trying to defame Thai rice, saying they should reveal their sources and present only facts. Mr. Yanyong has also reassured that the packed rice is free of chemical substances and is of high quality.
As for the government-to-government rice deal, the Thai government has agreed on a deal to sell 500,000 tons of rice under the rice-pledging scheme to Iran. The agreement is indicative that foreign countries are still confident in the quality of Thai rice. In addition, the Ministry of Commerce is planning to sell more rice to other countries like China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia under the government-to-government contracts, said Yanyong.
