Contaminated veg puts everyone's health at risk

A consumer group recently pointed out a problem that has been overlooked of late: The vegetables that we consume daily could carry the threat of cancer.

      Consumer advocate Saree Ongsomwang and director of BioThai Foundation Withoon Liemchamroom held a press conference last week to draw the public’s attention to residues of chemical fertiliser that have been found in vegetables that we consume every day – cabbage, kale and morning glory. Consumer groups claim that ingesting these chemical residues can cause cancer.

The revelation is unfortunate, as consumers should be able to feel safe about what they eat. The Public Health Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture have yet to make a statement responding to the claim. But it is the duty of public health officials or relevant agencies to ensure that consumers are not exposed to contaminated vegetables that can cause serious diseases such as cancer.

 With agriculture an important sector in the country, such contamination would not only affect the consumers but also the millions of farmers who are exposed to the chemicals day in day out. Pesticides have been known to cause several illnesses, not only cancer, and farmers often work daily with these chemicals without realising the risk.

 Bangkok authorities used to conduct a campaign aimed at ensuring that every vegetable sold in the city was free from dangerous chemicals. There were signs in supermarkets identifying produce from organic producers to help consumers worried about the health impact of chemically treated vegetables.

But some vendors say they have to carry the chemically fertilised vegetables because they are cheaper and meet consumers’ budgets. 

Some potentially dangerous fertilisers come from domestic producers, but much is produced by neighbouring countries where regulations covering the use of chemicals in agriculture are lax.

The latest discovery of contaminated vegetables should serve as a wake-up call for both Thai consumers and authorities, who should redouble efforts to ensure that produce available on the market is safe.

Some argue that placing a limit on the importation of chemical fertilisers would increase production cost for Thai goods. But in reality, news of contamination does more damage to food exports than the higher cost of organic fertilisers. Countries with high food-safety standards could respond to a contamination scare in Thailand by rejecting all Thai produce.

Shops selling chemical residue-free vegetables and restaurants that use organic vegetables should be welcomed and encouraged by consumers who don’t mind paying a little more.

At the same time, the authorities should step up efforts to ensure that imported produce is not a hazard to consumers’ health. The coming market integration under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will enable freer flow of food across borders. Without proper control, Thai consumers could be exposed to harmful produce from neighbouring countries. 

It also lies with consumers to be wary of the health impacts of what they eat. Low cost should not be the only factor dictating their purchasing decisions. Consumers have the power to choose a healthy lifestyle by educating themselves on how the food they eat is produced.