Fried food dangers: Govt testing to start

Deep-fried chicken, sausages, fried chips, meatballs from roadside or market sellers have cancer-causing chemicals in them. New rules coming soon.

Fried street food in Bangkok.

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Health

FDA warns of used cooking oil

19 Mar 2013  
Online Reporters

Popular food deep fried in old oil has been discovered to be contaminated with a substance dangerous to health, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday.

The warning followed its random inspections of 5,995 food items such as deep-fried chicken, sausages, fried chips, meatballs and pork snacks at markets across the country last year. Almost 10 per cent of food tested by officials had polar compounds exceeding the limit at 25 per cent of the used oil.

The agency said foods cooked with oil exceeding the standard were mostly found at wet and makeshift markets in Bangkok and upcountry.

Overheating or over-using cooking oil can cause polar compounds, putting consumers at risk for cancer, high blood pressure and other health problems, according to the FDA.

The 25 per cent limit on polar compounds in used oil took effect on March 13 to better protect consumers. Vendors violating the rule are subject to fines up to 10,000 baht.

The agency said its inspectors will join hands with provincial health officials to randomly sample re-used cooking oil at markets again to ensure that sellers comply with the new rules.

The FDA and Public Health Ministry have sets of polar testers for sale to vendors who wish to measure the substances in their oil.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Health, FDA warns of used cooking oil, 19 Mar 2013, Online Reporters, link) 


Food Safety Vocabulary

food safety - the science of the handling, preparation, inspection, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness (food poisoning) (See Wikipedia)

Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) - the government agency that inspects food and drugs to make sure they are safe
FDA warns of used cooking oil

fry - ทอด
deep fry (verb) - a way of cooking food fast by putting it in hot oil (See Wikipedia)
deep fried (adjective)
deep-fried chicken
deep fried food
food deep fried in old oil

sausages - a prepared food made from ground meat, animal fat, salt, spices, and herbs packed in a tube-like casing, orignally used as a food preservation technique (See Wikipedia)
fried chips - fried potatoes มันฝรั่งทอด

substance - material, stuff วัสดุ
a substance dangerous to health

contaminated - made dirty, polluted or poisonous by the addition of a chemical, waste or infection ปลอมปน, ปนเปื้อน
contaminated with a substance dangerous to health

discover - to  find something  ค้นพบ,  ตรวจพบ
food discovered to be contaminated with a substance dangerous to health

Popular food deep fried in old oil were discovered to be contaminated with a substance dangerous to health, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday.

cooking oil - (See Wikipedia)

polar compounds - the chemicals that make old reused cooking oil dangerous: "deep frying can pose hazards due to oil deterioration (oxidation, polymerization, hydrolysis) and harmful components formation. Deterioration of frying oils is generally followed by changes in free fatty acid level, color of the used oil, or an increase in trans fatty acids, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polarity of the oil. Various criteria are being used to judge when the frying oils needs to be discarded. The level of polar components (total polar compounds, TPC) is a good indicator of frying oil quality. TPC include all newly formed compounds that have higher polarity such as oxidized triglycerides, diacylglycerides and fatty acids and being the basis of the present recommendations and regularions limiting degradation of used frying fats for human consumption. The maximum levels for polar compounds of frying or cooking fats and oils at 25g/100 g oil" (Source & academic paper)

polar testers - a way of testing the Total Polar Compounds in cooking oil  


random - happening, done or chosen by chance rather than according to a plan ซึ่งไม่มีแบบแผน
inspection  - การตรวจ; การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด

random inspections - not inspecting everything (but only a selection chosen "randomly" to show what the situation)
random inspections of 5,995 food items

tested - put in a difficult situation ถูกทดสอบ
food tested by officials

limit - a highest or lowest amount
the limit for polar compunds at 25 per cent of the used oil

exceed - pass a limit, go beyond
polar compounds exceeding the limit at 25 per cent of the used oil

The warning followed its random inspections of 5,995 food items such as deep-fried chicken, sausages, fried chips, meatballs and pork snacks at markets across the country last year. Almost 10 per cent of food tested by officials had polar compounds exceeding the limit at 25 per cent of the used oil.

wet market - the old style mostly outdoor market (often with low food safety standards) ตลาดสด

makeshift - temporary, made from whatever materials are available ที่ใช้ชั่วคราว ; สำหรับใช้ชั่วคราว, ใช้ประทังไปก่อน
makeshift markets - a temporary market; a market set up for a short period of time (during a certain time of day or day of the week) ตลาดนัด

upcountry - in the provinces outside of Bangkok (especially to the "north" which is often considered the "up" direction)
markets upcountry

The agency said foods cooked with oil exceeding the standard were mostly found at wet and makeshift markets in Bangkok and upcountry.

over - too much, excessive
over-using cooking oil
overheating cooking oil

cancer - มะเร็ง
high blood pressure - ความดันโลหิตสูง

risk - a danger; the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง
put at risk
put at risk for cancer

consumers - people who buy things (individuals and families)
polar compounds put consumers at risk for cancer

Overheating or over-using cooking oil can cause polar compounds, putting consumers at risk for cancer, high blood pressure and other health problems, according to the FDA.

violate the rule - break the rule
vendors violating the rule

fine - money paid as punishment for breaking a law ค่าปรับ, เงินค่าปรับ
subject to fines
vendors violating the rule are subject to fines up to 10,000 baht.

The 25 per cent limit on polar compounds in used oil took effect on March 13 to better protect consumers. Vendors violating the rule are subject to fines up to 10,000 baht.

randomly - chosen without any particular pattern
sample - choose some items from a large group to provide information about the group as a whole
randomly sample
randomly sample re-used cooking oil at markets  
random sample (noun) - (See Wikipedia)

inspectors
join hands with 
inspectors will join hands with provincial health officials

comply - to obey a rule or a law การปฏิบัติตามกฎ; ปฏิบัติตาม (กฎหมาย, ข้อเสนอ, etc.)
comply with rules
comply with the new rules

ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ  ให้การยืนยัน 
ensure that sellers comply with the new rules

The agency said its inspectors will join hands with provincial health officials to randomly sample re-used cooking oil at markets again to ensure that sellers comply with the new rules.

measure - วัดขนาด (ความยาว, ความสูง, ความเร็ว ฯลฯ)
measure the substances in their oil

vendors - people who sell things, e.g., food or newspapers, usually outside on the street พ่อค้าแม่่ค้าหาบแร่แผงลอย
vendors who wish to measure the substances in their oil.

The FDA and Public Health Ministry have sets of polar testers for sale to vendors who wish to measure the substances in their oil.