BANGKOK, 25 February 2014 The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to organize a Food Safety Rapid Response Team in the hopes of being a model for other countries in the ASEAN region.
Mrs. Jongkol Wittayarungreungsri, Director of Bureau of Food Safety Extension and Support (BFSES) in the Ministry of Public Health, said the ministry is now developing a food safety surveillance system in cooperation with the Provincial Public Health Office in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Commerce and the Provincial Administrative Organization in all provinces.
Food safety of the Ministry of Health will be managed at national and ASEAN regional level in accordance with Thailand’s food management strategies. This is to ensure that consumers will eat clean food to ensure good health and to eliminate contaminants that cause diseases.
For example, each year it has been found that there have are more than 1 million patients who suffer from diarrhea. Long-term diseases like cancer can also be caused by the accumulation of chemicals from food eaten over a long time.
The Food Safety Rapid Response Team (FSRRT) is a rapid response unit located in every province. It will start operating this year in Thailand. for the first time and the hope is that it will be a model for other ASEAN countries in controlling and preventing problems quickly and efficiently.
