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China Tightens Durian Inspections Over Food Safety Concerns

January 12, 2025

According to Thai media reports, Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives recently held an emergency meeting to discuss measures to enhance the control and inspection of durians destined for China.

Thai authorities stated that Chinese officials had detected the presence of the unpermitted dye auramine O during food safety inspections of Thai durians exported to China.

Auramine O is used to dye materials such as paper, textiles, leather, oils and waxes. The World Health Organization classifies the dye as a group 2B carcinogen, and China’s Ministry of Health officially listed it as a non-edible substance in 2008. However, some durian processing facilities have been reported to use industrial dyes such as auramine O to improve the appearance of durian pulp.

Chinese authorities have now mandated that every batch of durians exported from Thailand to China must be accompanied by test reports for both auramine O and cadmium to ensure that the fruits are free from auramine O and that cadmium levels remain within acceptable limits. Starting on Jan. 10, China will conduct random inspections of imported batches of Thai durians. If contamination is detected, imports will be immediately suspended. Chinese authorities notified Thailand of this measure on Jan. 8, leading suppliers in many regions of Thailand to halt purchases of durians intended for export to China.

Meanwhile, industry insiders in China have confirmed that China Customs will require sampling and testing for auramine O in all imported durians, including those from Vietnam and Thailand, from Jan. 10. Samples must be taken from each vehicle transporting durians to China, and the goods cannot be released until testing is complete.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.

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