US terrorist attack touches Thai food exports

Exporters to the U.S. market should pay particular attention to instant food products, such as frozen dishes that can be cooked by microwave, according to the Thai Farmers Research Center (TFRC), The Nation reports this week. The TFRC said in its report on the fisheries industry that the terrorist attacks on the U.S. have had a severe impact on the Thai export of fishery products, of which the U.S. is the top consumer. Shipments to the U.S. in the first seven months totaled US$ 735 million (32.53 billion baht), or 32.9 per cent of exports in this category. Most affected are products shipped largely to the U.S. market as well as higher-priced goods, particularly shrimp and premium shrimp products served in restaurants and during year-end celebrations. One beneficiary of the terror attacks has been tuna. Canned tuna and tuna products can be stocked for easy consumption in wartime, TFRC said. The Centre recommended that Thai exporters should turn their attention to instant products such as frozen, microwavable food products. According to TFRC product quality is crucial. Last year, fishery products were the most detained food export item to the U.S., which is very strict when it comes to hygiene and consumer-safety standards. Any products found to be contaminated with toxic ingredients or food additives higher than the prescribed standards are automatically detained. Exporters whose items are detained are put on a watch-list and their subsequent exports are strictly examined with a certificate from agencies recognized by the U.S. Agricultural Department required. The TFRC stresssed that five consecutive lots of imports without any detention record results in the removal of the firm from the list.