Too good to be true? | Bangkok Post: learning

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Some vegetarian "meat" dishes taste so good you would think they actually contain meat. Well, maybe they do.

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If it tastes real, it might be real

Food labelled as vegetarian but in fact made from meat is seized by police during a raid on Yong Pun Vegetarian Co’s factory in Bang Khun Thian district in Bangkok. CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION

If that vegetarian "meat" dish you are eating tastes like the real thing, it may not be just due to the skill of the cook. It may really contain meat.

That was the conclusion of a recent police investigation carried out by the Consumer Protection Division following a complaint by the Vegetarian Club of Thailand.

Club members had suspected for years that the "special ingredient" added by some manufacturers to their imitation meat products was actually meat.

Police investigators, led by Pol Lt Col Saichon Timsin hoped to finish their investigation before the start of the Vegetarian Festival on Friday.

They first surveyed shops selling instant vegetarian products and sampled them. The only conclusive way to ascertain whether food contains meat, however, is to analyse the products in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laboratory to find traces of the DNA of animals. That takes time.

Impatient police had to wait for 22 days until they were handed test results from FDA staff.

The results showed so-called vegetarian shrimp and crab meatballs imported by the Yong Pun Vegetarian Co and sold by the Je Hong Ta shop on Ngam Wong Wan Road had traces of fish DNA.

After obtaining a search warrant, police carried out an inspection of the company’s factory in Bang Khun Thian district on Oct 4 and seized whole lots of the two products.

The officers also found 17 vegetarian products with illegitimate labels at the company’s warehouse in Samut Sakhon’s Muang district. The ‘‘meat-imitating products’’ include chicken in liquor and smoked goose meat and hams.

Company owner Prayad Saenyabut faces charges of selling fake vegetarian food and using fake labelling. The first carries a jail term of between six and 10 years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht; the second attracts a fine of 30,000 baht.

Another DNA test found vegetarian food sold at Anchalee shop in the Yaowarat area had traces of meat.

According to police, if you want to be sure you are eating vegetarian food, avoid those imitation meat products.
 
Adapted from a story in today's Bangkok Post by Wassayos Ngamkham

vegetarian – containing only vegetables and no meat เจ
dish – food prepared and cooked in a particular way อาหาร
due to – because of เนื่องจาก
skill – the ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience and training ฝีมือ
conclusion – something that you decide is true after consider all the evidence and thinking about it carefully การสรุป,บทสรุป
investigation – the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
consumer – someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค
complaint – when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
suspect – to believe that something is true, especially something bad  สงสัย
ingredient – one of the substances that are combined to make something ส่วนผสม
imitation – made to look like something else ของเลียนแบบ, ของปลอม
sample – to test a small amount of something in order to get information about the whole thing เอาเป็นตัวอย่าง, สุ่มตัวอย่าง
conclusive – proving that something is true แน่นอน, เป็นข้อสรุป
ascertain – to discover; to make certain สืบให้แน่ใจ
trace – a very small amount of a substance  จำนวนเล็กๆ
impatient – wanting something to happen as soon as possible ใจร้อน
so-called – said to be something but which may not be true ที่เป็นที่รู้กัน (ซึ่งบางครั้งอาจไม่เป็นจริงก็ได้)
obtain – to get something that you want or need, especially by going through a process that is difficult ได้มา, ได้รับ
search warrant – an official document that allows the police to search a building หมายค้น
inspection – the act of looking closely at something or someone and to check that everything is as it should be; examination การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด
seize – to take something using official power ยึด
lot – a group or set of things or people ชุด,รุ่น
illegitimate – not allowed by the rules or laws  ที่ขัดต่อกฎหมาย
label – a piece of paper or material fastened to an object that gives information about it
warehouse – a large building for storing things โกดังสินค้า, คลังสินค้า, โรงพัสดุ
charge – an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime ข้อหา
fake – made to look like something real to trick people ปลอม
jail term – the length of time a person is required to spend in jail การกำหนดเวลาการจำคุก
fine – an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law ค่าปรับ

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