Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) have raided eight Chinese supermarkets in Bangkok and seized more than 25,000 made-in-China products without Thai labels and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels of approval.
Authorities confiscated 55 product lines, totalling 25,823 convenience food and ready-to-eat food items worth 1 million baht. The eight supermarkets are located in and around the Yaowarat area, and in Huay Kwang district.
The supermarket owners were initially charged with violating section 6 (10) of the 1979 Food Act, which carries a maximum fine of 30,000 baht.
Division commander Pol Maj Gen Withaya Sriprasertparp said on Sunday that the raids, carried out between Dec 2 and 28, were a joint operation with the FDA officials to crack down on shop owners who smuggled products from China ahead of the New Year holidays, during which many people buy goods to make New Year’s gift hampers.
The operation was also a follow-up on recent cases of children being hospitalised for food allergies after eating imported snacks lacking FDA certification, Pol Maj Gen Withaya said.
