Thailand will resume exporting durian to China by Monday as quick contamination tests are under way, according to Deputy Agriculture Minister Itthi Sirilatthayakorn.
The Department of Agriculture and laboratory operators have nearly completed contamination test procedures for Basic Yellow 2 (BY2), a potentially carcinogenic colouring additive, to certify the safety of Thai durian fruit, he told parliament on Thursday.
“Laboratories will be ready to check China-bound durian within 48 hours,” he said, adding that shipments could resume on Monday if the fruit is cleared. Export standard certification should benefit the expected sale of durian from southern Thailand to China during the Lunar New Year period, Mr Itthi said.
He also confirmed that the organisations concerned including the Department of Agriculture would ensure that the durian rejected by China would not be marketed in Thailand.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in September last year discovered the illegal use of Basic Yellow 2, which had been brought into Thailand from China and was not registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration.
The additive was used by durian packing plants for export, which were financed by a Chinese investment group in the southern province of Chumphon. They were ordered to cease using the unregistered substance.
However, during a follow-up visit a month later, inspectors found the packing houses were continuing to use the substance and they issued warning letters.
On Saturday, the ministry was informed about durian exports being rejected at the Nanning airport in China due to a lack of documents to certify that the products were free of Basic Yellow 2.
Thai durian is highly popular with Chinese consumers, who are willing to pay a premium for high-quality fruit. Thai durian exports in 2023 were worth 90 billion baht, an 82% increase from the year before, according to data from the Department of Foreign Trade. Shipments to China accounted for 70% of Thailand’s total durian exports.