Lab testers were pleased to find that the confiscated samples of street orange juice taken last week in Saraburi did, in fact, contain real OJ and not tap water and sweetener as previously believed.
However, the samples also tested positive for bacteria most often found in animal feces.
The amount of fecal bacteria found in the samples was over the legal acceptable limit and in violation of food safety laws. A dozen other samples were collected randomly around Bangkok as well and tested by The Department of Medical Science, some of them contained the same waste bacteria.
Apichai Mongkol, director of the Department of Medical Science, said yesterday “Sixty percent of our samples exceed the limit.”
In our opinion, the highest allowable amount of fecal bacteria in our food should be none.
The OJ scandal began on May 23, when four Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Saraburi after being photographed pouring tap water into the OJ they were offering for sale.
The test results for the four original Saraburi samples will be sent to and dealt with by Saraburi health officials and police while the Food and Drug Administration will deal with the vendors selling the tainted samples in Bangkok.
If you’ve been drinking the street juice, don’t worry. Fecal bacteria won’t make you immediately sick. In fact, aside from being gross, it’s not that dangerous. It does indicate, however, that food isn’t being prepared in clean places and that there is a larger risk of more dangerous bacteria being present too.
Other than the fecal bacteria, the OJ passed the safety tests. It did contain artificial sweetener, preservatives and artificial coloring, but in amounts that were within legal guidelines, according to Khaosod English.
The Vietnamese vendors whose OJ operation began the scandal are in custody and awaiting trial. They’ve been charged with illegal entry to Thailand, taking jobs reserved for Thais and producing food without permits.
Whatever the juice was or wasn’t made of, the four illegal vendors will definitely be deported, according to Pol. Col. Samart Kaewmanee, commander of the Muak Lek Police Station.
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