About Health

Health inspectors have found unacceptable levels of bacterial contamination in the fruit being sold by Bangkok street vendors. Enforcement action is being taken.

Fruit vendors face crackdown by Supoj Wancharoen

Street vendors and larger sellers of fresh and preserved fruit in Bangkok will soon risk jail terms and fines if they are found selling contaminated products.

...a survey by health authorities...found that fruit sold by street vendors and other sellers in the capital posed a health risk to buyers.

Authorities...sampled fruit from 38 vendors in greater Bangkok.

Of 153 samples, 67.3% had unsafe coliform bacteria levels. The survey found that vendors were not observing proper hygiene measures when preparing the fruit, which could cause intestinal problems for buyers such as diarrhoea.

The survey also revealed that 16.2% of 161 fruit samples are dyed with unsafe amounts of synthetic pigments and 40.3% contain antifungal agents (salicylic acid).

Of the processed fruits sampled, 64.2% were contaminated with dangerous chemicals. Dark green and red pickled guava were found to be the most contaminated processed fruit. Antifungal agents and synthetic pigments were found in 32.1% of the pickled guava tested.

Mr Ong-art said the fruit tested came from both individual vendors and those hired to sell the produce of large-scale operators...

...The campaign will continue for a month, after which time another survey will be conducted. If fruit is still found to be contaminated, vendors will be liable to up to two years in jail and/or a maximum fine of 20,000 baht.

vendors - people who sell things, e.g., food or newspapers, usually outside on the street พ่อค้าแม่่ค้าหาบแร่แผงลอย
crackdown - strong official action to punish lawbreakers การปราบปรามขั้นเด็ดขาด
preserved - kept something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed ซึ่งปกป้องไว้
risk - the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง
jail terms - a period of time that a person must spend living in jail as punishment for breaking the (as determined by a court)
contaminated - made dirty, polluted or poisonous by the addition of a chemical, waste or infection
survey - looking at a group of things to see what condition they are in, inspecting or examining a group of things 
authorities - the police or government officials who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
capital - the city that is the center of government for a country  เมืองหลวง
sample (noun) - one item from a larger group to get an idea of what the larger group is like ตัวอย่า
sample (verb) - select a small number of things (sample) from a larger group to get information about the larger group
coliform bacteria - a class of very small living things (bacteria) that can make food and water dirty and dangerous to eat, based on a test developed in 1914 (See Wikipedia)
proper - correct and right for the situation
hygiene - keeping your body and surroundings clean so that you are not infected with a disease สุขลักษณะ
measures - an action taken to deal with a problem มาตราการ
observing proper hygiene measures - making sure everything is clean
diarrhoea - an illness in which solid waste is passed from your body too often and in liquid form
intestinal - relating to the intestines, the long tubes in your body that process food and carry waste เกี่ยวกับระบบทางเดินอาหาร
revealed - made known or showed somthing that was surprising or that was previously secret เปิดเผย
dye - change the colour of something
synthetic - man-made in a factory, not from nature
pigments - a natural substance used to give colour (dye) something such as cloth or hair
fungus - "a type of plant without leaves, flowers, or green colour that grows mainly in wet places or on decaying substances. There are many types of fungi, including mushrooms, mildews, yeasts, and moulds" (Macmillan dictionary)
antifungal agents - chemicals that prevent or stop the growth of funguses
processed - treated in some way, e.g., treated with chemicals, cut, etc.
contaminated - made dirty or poisonous by entry or contact with chemical, waste or infection 
pickled - a method of keeping vegetables or fruit for a long time with going bad (rotting, spoiling) by keeping it in vinegar or salt water and fermenting it
guava - a popular green fruit in Thailand ฝรั่ง
test - checking a person or situation to see if requirements are being met 
individual - a person (considered separately from their society or community) บุคคล
scale - size (relative size)
large scale - much larger than others
operators - people running some business
campaign - a planned group of especially political, business or military activities which are intended to achieve a particular aim การรณรงค์
liable - legally responsible for causing harm, damage or injury มีความรับผิดชอบตามกฎหมาย
maximum - the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
fine - an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law ค่าปรับ

(Source: Fruit vendors face crackdown, 14/09/2010, Supoj Wancharoen, link)