Food hygiene checks

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vincemunday
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Food hygiene checks

Post by vincemunday » March 10, 2017, 12:44 pm

Yesterday the wife was visited by some representatives from the tessabaan who were assessing the wife's premises. This is a great development, they are checking things like hand washing, sinks, washing up facilities and food hygiene. We have no problems, the wife took the hygiene certificates in the U.K. so her standards are quite high but good luck to them with some of the food barrows on the roadside. They are talking about closing down premises that don't meet their standards, this could mean the end of a lot of cafes and restaurants I've been into.


The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by Udon Map » March 10, 2017, 12:52 pm

vincemunday wrote:Yesterday the wife was visited by some representatives from the tessabaan who were assessing the wife's premises. This is a great development, they are checking things like hand washing, sinks, washing up facilities and food hygiene. We have no problems, the wife took the hygiene certificates in the U.K. so her standards are quite high but good luck to them with some of the food barrows on the roadside. They are talking about closing down premises that don't meet their standards, this could mean the end of a lot of cafes and restaurants I've been into.
Were they just doing all the food places on the block/street sequentially, or did they go directly to her shop?

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by DuiDui49 » March 10, 2017, 2:39 pm

I was up visiting the new boss at Tessaban a month ago regarding another matter,cleaning the streets from all the dust..during my sitdown/talk a Thai man shows up and says -Hello DuiDui !!..Me getting old and forgetful.. thought i reconiced his face..was invited to sitdown for a talk regarding his work..(he later introduced him as health and food supervisor)I said something like you have alot to enforce when it comes to hygiene among all the people selling food around NSR ..he smiled..I departed and thought that i will,as usuall,not see any change in a foreseeable future..But hey,guess i was wrong..i really hope they will put in place some regulary checks when it comes to food hygiene..Getting hotter by the day now so even moore important.

One thing i can't understand why the heck they can't use the Udon News Channel to educate people..why?

Me rambling away as usual...;-)..Have a good day all..Time to make some Potatoe Pancakes.. :D

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by vincemunday » March 10, 2017, 3:03 pm

They were doing them sequentially, unfortunately one of the worst that's quite near your offices was closed but the other one a bit further along was open so hopefully they were given the appropriate guidance. It's quite scary when you see the state of some of these places but to be honest I've never been made ill when I've eaten in them. The only times I've been really ill was when I ate in a very famous steak house and when I bought a sandwich in just as famous convenience store, I'm honestly pleased to see that the authorities are doing something to make our lives a bit safer, good on them.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by parrot » March 10, 2017, 3:17 pm

Like a lot of things, it's best to judge progress over the course of many years rather than a few. Not all that many years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone wearing a plastic glove when they cut up your grilled chicken.......or keep the fresh beef for noodle soup in the refrigerator/cooler.......or provide a sink with running water and soap/paper towels for patrons to wash hands........or, at the precious few restaurants that provided toilet facilities.....soap/tissue/running water.
A week or so ago, there were government officials in the Nongwahsaw market taking food samples from some of the vendors.......fresh produce/fruit, nohm jeen, meat, fish, etc. Placed in plastic bags and marked in the ubiquitous ledger book. What'll they find, what'll they do with the results??? Who knows....but just having them check puts the vendors on notice.
All said and done, you're mostly taking your life in your hands with street vendors....who usually have precious little water for washing and probably don't keep their food properly cool (especially in the hot season).
Contrary to popular expat belief, progress is being made on a lot of fronts (streets, driving, cleanliness, litter, good electric/running water, etc).......it just happens very slowly.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by vincemunday » March 10, 2017, 3:37 pm

Any catering college worth its salt will advise against the use of plastic gloves, it discourages hand washing. If I'm handling raw chicken and I get the blood etc on my hand I can feel it and will wash my hands immediately, if I'm wearing plastic gloves the odds are I won't feel it and to be honest the use of plastic gloves makes me cringe, you can't beat running water, soap and paper towels.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by Drunk Monkey » March 10, 2017, 4:13 pm

Back in the Chern Chim days we requested and had checks done by government officials to cover both Health n Hygiene and Health n Safety ,,, back then was 3,500 per year to get the certificate and corresponding licenses etc .. IMO any establishment serving food and or beverages should have these and display them in the sales area ...hopefully they are starting to crack down a bit ...

HEY ..but whatta i know just a poor shop owner !!!! i still believe every DBD registered business should be VAT reg without exception thus raking in billions of revenue from businesses / companies currently with a trading income over the vat thresholds but not being reg or paying vat .......thus the government can blow it on more important things .. like the current deficit :shock: ...

I think we can forget abou the food carts n small vendors when it comes to H n I regs ..... im sure all that pork n chicken thats bunged on to sticks n bbq is prepared in a sterile environment ...MAYBE

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by wazza » March 10, 2017, 5:54 pm

Do they include the toilets and handwashing facilities as.well ?

Thats a major HACCP on its own.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by vincemunday » March 10, 2017, 6:19 pm

I don't think they'll be asking for a seperate hand washing sink just yet, I'm not even sure I agreed with that in the UK, it's all bit of a nonsense, food prep sink makes sense but why you can't wash your hands in the washing up sink is beyond me, you use your hands to wash up after all, unless you're posh and have a dishwasher. It's strange but there's no requirement for a restaurant to have a toilet here so no enforcement there either.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by wazza » March 10, 2017, 6:35 pm

The toilet facilities that the food handlers use. On or off premises is still an area that is auditted and part of any investigation process especially with communicable diseaes such as Hep A .

Agree however that this area wont generally be acceptable.

Hand towels used by every user eg. Vs paper towels.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by parrot » March 10, 2017, 6:52 pm

My favorite food hygiene story....the first year we lived here, across from Wing 23 and off the main road, there was a family who lived in a rickety wooden home alongside a stinky klong. They raised a few ducks. And they made coconut ice-cream. They'd scrape the coconut meat out of fresh coconuts and dry the meat alongside the road on plastic sheets. Bikes, motorcycles, cars.....and ducks would pass by. When a fresh batch of ice-cream was made, a woman would emerge from the house in a flowery clean dress and woven hat, pedaling a 3 wheel car with a large umbrella. If you were out on the main drag, you'd probably not hesitate to buy some of her ice-cream.
It's the sort of thing that, given too much thought, would leave you plenty hungry in Thailand.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by wazza » March 10, 2017, 7:02 pm

This is why our Normal Flora Bacteria in our GIT is doing us proud.

Shrugs off many of the street food challenges we have in Udon.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by Barney » March 11, 2017, 3:48 pm

My missus, while we were living in Singapore a few years back got a job in one of those food courts in a mall and prior to starting had to go and do a couple of day Hygiene course, on her coin (well actually mine) and then pass to get an official accredited hygiene certificate, prior to starting the job. Is law in Singapore.
She was then provided additional training on the job about the health specifics of her establishment.
Her certificate, as with all the others working was in the shop was available for any govt audit.
I'm sure Thailand doesn't have this as mandatory but it would help as a starter.
Even if only for the proprietors of food shops, who may think they know it all, they could learn something.
I doubt dedicated training is done in Thailand in any sort by restaurant by owners on hygiene.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by wazza » March 11, 2017, 4:05 pm

I was Qualified to teach Food Safety yrs ago. Level 1. 1 day course in the UK. It came with my Level 4 Quals.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by parrot » March 11, 2017, 4:34 pm

Singapore = developed country
Thailand = still getting there

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by Barney » March 11, 2017, 5:02 pm

parrot wrote:Singapore = developed country
Thailand = still getting there
Yes Parrot
Baby steps as always in Thailand, they can't be seen to be being told what to do. Need to think about it.
I'm sure if they are serious, especially with the checks of restaurants mentioned by Vince, that the Thai chef apprenticeship courses have a module for hygiene that could be taken out and utilized on a local level.

Wazza with your food safety training there is an opportunity for a training school business.
You and me could advertise the business for credibility and authenticity of any such local course with, our "before and after" belly shots. :lol: :lol:

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by vincemunday » March 12, 2017, 6:49 pm

I'm level 3 qualified which makes me as well qualified as the people who go round checking on behalf of UK councils so I'm pretty conversant with hygiene practices, and lack of, it isn't uncommon for me to refuse to eat at a restaurant and walk out, some things/places just aren't worth risking and I don't.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by wazza » March 12, 2017, 8:51 pm

Who hasnt laughed at the TOPS staff weraing their face shields upside down ?

I very politely dropped into their office to explain it to them, got a smile and a thanks, and as we all know, Fark All done

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by Randall » March 23, 2017, 8:45 pm

I have been dating women in America for the last four years and it is amazing how many American women have poor food preparation and handling knowledge. I did eat everywhere in my 42 days in Thailand. I did have 2 bouts of mild case of the runs. But nothing like the bad cabreto I had in a Dallas restaurant back in the 80's. Or bad seafood at a fancy place in SALT lake. Both times I was sick in 30 mind. Severe cases for sure and felt like dying. I know a nurse who works in 5 star hotels in phuket. Some times she gets many cases of diarrhea. They track this in a daily report and ask if ate at hotel or elsewhere. But if running water isn't clean is hand washing safe?

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Re: Food hygiene checks

Post by bigsnake » March 28, 2017, 9:20 am

They do these checks once in awhile but by no means often enough. It is next to impossible to monitor all the street vendors about now a days. Eat at your own risk.

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