Bangkok deputy governor inspected New Year holiday gift baskets being sold at a popular shopping mall in Bangkok, urging sellers to ensure the freshness of contents, and buyers to observe the goods before purchase.
Deputy Governor of Bangkok Pol Lt Gen Sophon Phisutthiwong visited Big C Rajadamri Shopping Center in downtown Bangkok, where he inspected gift baskets sold at the shopping mall for the holiday season.
The deputy governor said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has been working with retailers and vendors to ensure the availability of gift baskets at a reasonable price with good quality contents.
No overpriced gift baskets or ones containing poor quality contents were found during the inspection. City Hall has been urging retailers to ensure the contents of each gift basket have at least six months shelf life before the expiry date after sale, while fresh items must be no more than three days old at the time of sale.
At the inspection, officials from Pathumwan District’s office of environmental health, collected samples from the gift baskets to conduct tests for chemical contaminants, such as bleaches and borax.
BMA regulations require that gift baskets containing food, packaged food, fruit, and vegetables have a label disclosing the name and types of these items in each basket. Gift baskets containing bottles of liquor are not allowed to be displayed for sale. Vendors can only sell baskets containing liquor in circumstances where a customer specifically asks a staff member to include liquor in the basket of goods. It has to be separately selected for inclusion in the basket.
The BMA is encouraging members of the public looking for New Year’s gifts, to inspect the City Hall’s Bangkok Food Safety City branding guide held by vendors and shopping centers, to make sure they receive gift baskets with quality products packed inside. (NNT)
