Street vendors in Bangkok are selling fruit contaminated with unsafe levels of bacteria and chemicals, a Thai government report has found.
A study conducted throughout August by Bangkok City Hall, the Thai Food and Drug Administration and other health agencies found evidence of disease-causing organisms in samples of fresh-cut, bagged fruit taken from the city's hawkers, the Associated Press (AP) said.
Around 67 per cent of the 153 samples contained unsafe levels of coliform bacteria, common in digestive tracts, which by its presence pointed to traces of faecal matter and E.coli on the fruit, according to AP.
The study also found that 40 per cent of the fruit tested contained anti-fungal agents like salicylic acid. Unsafe levels of synthetic pigments were found in 16 per cent of the tested fruit.
The Thai Prime Minister's office launched a one-month campaign on Mondayto encourage fruit vendors and their suppliers to provide customers with safe, clean fruit, AP said.
Authorities are urging fruit buyers to make sure their vendors wear plastic gloves and use stainless steel cutting boards, which are easier to clean.
The government has warned that another survey will be taken at the end of this month (September), after which vendors selling contaminated fruit will face up to two years in prison and fines of 20,000baht (US$650).
Experts said that highly contaminated fruit could cause sickness, fever and, in severe cases, result in death.
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