Food Industry Summit organised by Food Industry Asia (www.foodindustry.asia) : 06 September 2012

2. Priorities in Thailand
Dr Pichet Itkor
Food Processors’ Club, FTI

3. Food Industry Summit 2012
Jakarta
September 6, 2012
Priorities in Thailand
Pichet Itkor
Vice Chairman, Regulatory Affairs
Food Processing Industry Club
Federation of Thai Industries

4. Content
1) Thailand at a Glance
2) Priorities in Thailand
- Strengthening public-private partnership
- Engagement with National Health Assembly
3) Lesson Learned

5. Thailand: Facts and Figures
Total Area: 514,000 sq.km.
Water: 2,230 sq.km.
Land: 511,770 sq.km.
Land Use:
Arable Land: 30 %
Permanent Crops: 6%
Others: 64 %
Irrigated Land: 47,490 sq.km.

6. Thailand: Facts and Figures
Population: 66.0 million Labor Force by Occupation
Total Labor Force: 36.3 million Agriculture 43 %
Services 40 %
Industries 17 %
GDP per Capita in 2011 ; 5,113 US$
Composition by Sector
Agriculture: 9%
Services: 55 %
Industries: 36 %

7. Thailand: Facts and Figures
A Food Exporter in World Market (2011)
Ranked No. 1 in the world, valued 669 million US$
 Canned pineapple
 Frozen shrimp Ranked No. 1 in the world, valued 3,676 million US$
Ranked No. 1 in the world, valued 2,357 million US$
Processed tuna
Ranked No. 1 in the world, valued 2,061 million US$
 Processed chicken
Ranked No. 1 in the world, valued 6,537 million US$
 Rice
Source: National Food Institute, www.nfi.or.th

8. Thailand Food Safety Management System
- Dept of Agriculture
 Plant Quarantine Act
1964
Risk Communication -Dept of Livestock Control
Dept of Medical Science  Animal Slaughtering
Dept of Health and Trading Act 1992
Dept of Agriculture -Dept Fisheries
Dept of Livestock Control  Fisheries Act 1947
- Office of Food and Drug
Dept of Fisheries
Risk Assessment Risk Management Administration <FDA>
 Food Act 1979
- Hazard Identification - Risk Evaluation
- Hazard Characterization - Option Assessment
- Exposure Evaluation - Execution as Planed
- Risk Characterization - Monitoring and Review
<Science-base> <Policy-base>
Effectively communicating,
information and opinion
sharing

9. National Food Commission
Food Safety Food Quality Food Security Food Education
11 Ministries / More than 30 Public Sectors
Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of
Commerce Education Defense Finance the Interior Public Health
Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Agriculture Social Welfare Science Industry
Consumer National National Economic
Security Council National Health and Social
Protection Board Commission Development Board

10. Priority No 1
Strengthening public-private partnership

11. Food Industries and Their Stakeholders
Industry
Association
Food Processing Club
RA Working Group
Board of Trade
Food
Industries
Scientific Regulatory
Community Authorities
FoSTAT, ILSI-SEAR FDA, ACFS,
INMU. TDA Food regulations shall be DMSc, DOH
developed based on science

12. FDA/FTI Holistic Working Scheme
Chaired by MoPH Permanent
National Food Commission Secretary to endorse new regulation
prior to publishing in Government
Gazette
Chaired by FDA Secretary General,
FDA Food Sub-Committee on RA represents FTI in this sub-
Standard and Management (Or 2) committee to help revise or draft new
regulation
RA member represent FTI in the following
Sub-committee
- Safety Assessment (Or 1)
- Nutrition and Health Claim (Or 3)
FDA Food Technical Sub- - Food Additive (Or 4)
Committee - Milk and Milk Product (Or 6)
- GMP (Or 8)
- Food Labeling (Or 9)
- Contaminant in Food (Or 10)
Thailand Codex Focal Food Industry
RA Working Group
Point <ACFS> Executive Committee
Routine monthly meeting
RA member represent FTI in ACSF Consistent monthly report
Working Group submission
- CCFA, CCCF, CCFL, CCNFSDU etc

13. FTI and Scientific Associations
International Life Science Institute: ILSI
Southeast Asia Region
Government
ILSI is a neutral forum Scientist
addressing scientific
issues that effect
public health
Academic Industry
Scientist Scientist
Tripartite Partnership

14. Burning Regulatory Issues
Expedite product registration process by
- Grading food manufacturers
- Grouping of food category according to production
technology and risk
- Less procedures for pre-marketing approval more
on surveillance in the market place
- Encouraging industry’s self regulation
Harmonization with international standard (Codex)
- ML of Food Additives
- Threshold for Food Contaminant
- Microbiological Criteria

15. Priority No 2
Engagement with National Health Assembly

16. NHA and Obesity Debate
In 2009 National Health Assembly (NHA) adopted the resolutions to
address obesity issue in Thailand by executing the followings
1) Color-coded nutrition labeling as mandatory requirement
2) Pricing and Tax Measures
3) Sales and Marketing Restriction

17. Multi traffic light or Color coded labeling
proposed by National Health Assembly
Amount per serving (XX g)
Energy Sugar Fat Sodium
100 Kcal 12 g 6g 150 mg
5%* XX%* XX%* 6.3%*
*% of Recommended Daily Intake for Thai (Thai RDI)
Color coding nutrition criteria for snack
Nutrients Green Yellow Red
Energy (Kcal) ≤ 100 > 100 - 200 > 200
Fat (g) ≤ 3.25 > 3.25 – 6.5 > 6.4
Sugar (g) ≤ 2.5 > 2.5 – 5.00 > 5.0
Sodium (mg) ≤ 120 > 120 - 240 > 240

18. Actions taken by Industries
• Stake-holders engagement plan was developed within Industrial
Association
• Establish industrial position on nutrition labeling base on sound
science
• Conduct stake-holders engagement
• Thai-FDA
• Executive of Federation of Thai Industry and Board of Trade
• Professional association (Nutrition, Dietitian, Food Science)
• Health Advocacy (NHA, Thai health, Thai-no fat belly)
• Media
• Collaboration with FDA and Professional Association on
consumer education

19. Response from Food Regulator: Thailand FDA
Fact based nutrition labeling adopted by Thai-FDA, standard
format was finalized by the Food Committee
Press conference on FDA decision
• April 1, 2011: Public Hearing at Miracle
Grand, proposed format still in discussion
• April 7, 2011: Food Committee meeting to
finalized requirement GDA for Snacks
Different from currently voluntary
• % Energy based on 2000 kcal
• Display total sugar with its percentage
based on recommended daily intake
(finalized at 65 g/day)
Come into enforcement on Aug 24, 2012

20. Voluntary GDA Labeling from Industries
Hyper market
Tesco (3 tablets without Na) Carrefour (per 100 ml/day) Big C (local hyper market)
Energy Fat Sugar Sodium
CP (largest food company in Thailand)
Frozen foods

21. Consumer Education on Understanding GDA
Cooperation of Thailand FDA and Federation of Thai Industry
GDA Road Show with FDA
Conducted in 30 locations in Bangkok and 4 major cities
Nutrition education booklet by Thai Dietetic
Association for health educators (Nation wide)

22. Marketing Restriction
for Food for Infant and Young Children
Age Group 0–6m 7 – 12 m 13 – 18 m 19 – 24 m 25 – 30 m 31 – 36 m 37 – 42 m 43 – 48 m
IF FO GUM
WHO Code
IF FO GUM
Current Thai
FDA Practice
IF FO GUM
TH Code proposed
by DOH and NHA
Period of “Breast Milk Substitute” and subject to marketing restriction
PNMA Position: - Retain the control of breast milk substitute up to 1 year or
- GUM and supplementary food are not “Breast Milk Substitute”

23. Lesson Learned
 Private sector either international or local can contribute to
tackle nutrition issue
 Global commitment shall cascade to the fields and across
functions
 Industrial alignment in all levels is the keys
 Single policy across industry
 Work with regional and international to make significant impact
 Strong commitment shall be effectively sustain with tangible
outcome
 Public-Private Partnership is the key of success