The Commerce Ministry’s Camcontrol, which is in charge of food safety inspection in Cambodia, reported that last year they had to destroy up to 30 tons of tainted food deemed unsafe for consumption.

According to Camcontrol director general Mak Pichrith, the 30 tons of seizures was a result of various spot checks conducted nationwide in 2016.

“The goods were mostly food and beverages and they were confiscated to be destroyed,” he said yesterday after conducting a spot check at Phnom Penh’s O’Russey Market.

Commerce Ministry Pan Sorasak said Camcontrol regularly checks the hygiene practices of businesses in an attempt to prevent the sale of contaminated goods, adding that he will also be looking into a draft law on food safety and consumer protection laws which could be ready this year.

“We will make every effort to help protect the safety of food for the people. We will try to finish the law soon for it to be reviewed in parliament to create this new law,” he said.

During the inspection yesterday, Camcontrol found two tainted food products in the 28 samples it collected from O’Russey Market. The two tainted products found to be one being cabbage which was contaminated by a prohibited acidic substance.