A Thai woman posted photos of Shine Muscat grapes that stayed fresh after 43 days without refrigeration. The post has triggered a wide debate about pesticide residue on the popular fruit.
Orsuda On-Khwun posted photos in the Facebook group “We Are Consumers” on August 24. She said she bought the grapes on July 10, and they were still green and attached to their stems. The skin had wrinkled, but she said the fruit had not rotted and was still edible.
The post drew hundreds of comments. Some users joked that the grapes lasted because they contained no preservatives, only formaldehyde. Others shared similar stories, including grapes that stayed fresh from Chinese New Year through Songkran.
One commenter described a different experience. She said she once washed grapes thoroughly and soaked them in salt water before refrigerating them. She still suffered vomiting and diarrhoea after eating a large amount.
A vineyard visitor recalled a driver’s warning not to eat grapes without washing them first. Farmers spray pesticide on the fruit while it is still small, the driver said. The chemicals can seep into the flesh and cannot be fully washed off.
A Shine Muscat grower disputed the food-safety concerns. Properly refrigerated grapes can last more than six months without spoiling, the grower said.
Thai authorities have flagged pesticide residue on the fruit before. A random sample of 24 Shine Muscat grapes found more than 50 chemical residues, and 23 samples exceeded legal limits. Testers detected chlorpyrifos, a pesticide Thailand has banned.
About 74% of the residues found were systemic pesticides, which can penetrate the fruit’s flesh rather than staying on the skin.
Experts said the residue levels were low compared with international Codex standards and urged consumers not to panic. They recommended soaking grapes in a mix of one tablespoon of baking soda per 10 litres of water for 15 minutes. This can cut chemical residue by 36% to 75%. Rinsing under running water or diluted salt water also helps.
Related news
- Thai FDA clears 6.9-tonne Shine Muscat grapes for safety
- Shine Muscat scandal: Grapes of wrath as dodgy imports leave a sour taste
- Thailand boosts food safety, bans harmful agrochemicals
The story Grapes left unrefrigerated for 43 days spark food safety debate in Thailand as seen on Thaiger News.
