Thailand Export Quality
Thailand’s natural resources of tropical climate, abundant rainfall and fertile land, makes it one of the world’s natural food bowls. Combined with energetic human endeavor and modern science and technology, this modern Asian nation has developed food production at a staggering pace in recent decades. Today Thailand is the world’s 6th largest food exporter, and has deservedly has been granted the title – Kitchen of the World.
Among many other agricultural products, Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of farmed prawns. The Thai’s have been farming prawns for over 100 years, and there are more than 30,000 prawn farms ranging in size from less than a hectare, to individual farms capable of producing Australia’s entire annual production.
In 2007-08 Thailand produced over 500,000 tonnes of farmed prawns – exporting the majority to highly discerning western nations such as the European Union, the United States and Japan. This is only possible because Thai prawns meet the highest quality and food safety standards in the world. Thailand’s prawn farms, processing factories and distribution chains are accredited to independently audited international standards. Compliance with these standards is routinely monitored by quarantine and health authorities in importing nations.
In Australia, imported prawns are tested by the Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (AQIS) before release here, to verify our health standards are being met. Those standards are set by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Antibiotic and other chemical residues are not permitted and Thailand’s compliance record is among the best in the world. In addition, AQIS also tests for aquatic diseases that may affect our own prawn farms or wild fisheries. (These diseases are not harmful to humans.)
Where you see the Thailand Export Quality logo – you can be confident that those products have passed every test to guarantee your enjoyment.