Fisheries department strengthens hygiene measures at Thailand’s seafood factories

Thailand’s Fisheries Department has tightened hygiene measures in the country’s seafood factories in a bid to allay the fears of consumers and exporters. The current Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand started at a fish market in the central province of Samut Sakhon last month. Vicharn Ingsrisawang from the Fisheries Department says that since then, some consumers and exporters have voiced concerns over the safety of Thai fish and seafood products.

Nation Thailand reports that the department has ordered factories to increase the number of times surfaces are disinfected and to disinfect containers prior to loading products. Seafood processing plants have been instructed to adhere rigidly to standards laid out in Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point protocols. Factory workers must undergo regular health screening and be made aware of disease prevention measures.

Meanwhile, Vicharn says Thai fish and seafood can be eaten without any risk of Covid-19 transmission, insisting there is no evidence the virus can be passed from marine creatures. He says worried consumers should only purchase products prepared to certified standards, and should clean fish and seafood prior to consumption and use utensils for eating.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand