Japanese food safety law could affect Thai rice exports

Japan has launched stricter quality measures for its rice supply, which could cause problems for Thai exports, the National Food Institute (NFI) said yesterday.

The Japanese government has upgraded its foodsafety standards by passing a traceability law for all domestic production of rice and rice products.

Since October 1, manufacturers have been required to collect information on their rice and put all the information, including where all the contents came from, on the package or container.

Restaurants and grocers have to show the source of ingredients and food products on their menus or inside their shops.

The Japanese government believes that this stringent approach will convince consumers to report back on any food safety problems.

The NFI warns rice exporters to take this trend seriously, as it will indirectly affect Thai rice.

The traceability tool will be a factor in Japanese consumers' decisionmaking.

Amorn Ngammongkolrat, executive vice president of the institute, said Japan was one of the importing countries that had initiated such steps in the early stage.

"The measures will limit damage and harm to consumers, as they can clear all troubled goods in a shorter time and find out what the source of the problem is," Amorn said.

(Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Japanese-food-safety-law-could-affect-Thai-rice-ex-30148857.html)