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BANGKOK: -- Most fish sauces and many mixed fish sauces on store shelves across the country contain levels of preservatives that fail to meet safety standards, according to the results of a study released Thursday. The Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) surveyed the quality of fish sauces and mixed fish sauces sold in fresh markets and department stores nationwide. It collected 471 samples produced by 118 manufacturers in February and March. Of the samples, 242 were fish sauces priced at Bt10-Bt45, and 229 were mixed fish sauces costing Bt6-Bt18. The survey found that only 62.8 per cent of fish sauces and 37.1 per cent of mixed fish sauces met safety standards. For fish sauces, price didn't appear to be a guarantee of quality. The study found examples of sub-standard products among both expensive (Bt30-Bt40) and inexpensive (Bt10-Bt20) fish sauces. About 45.4 per cent of fish sauces priced at Bt21-Bt29 did not meet the standards. "We found that most fish sauces and [many] mixed fish sauces contained a level of glutamic acid relative to nitrogen that was either higher or lower than the standard," DMS director-general Dr Niphon Phophattanachai said. About 36 per cent of samples contained a level of glutamic acid relative to nitrogen that was higher than the standard, and about 9.1 per cent of samples had a level that was lower than standard. About 4.5 per cent of samples contained a level of benzoic acid or preservative agent higher than the standard. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/638312-most-fish-sauces-in-thailand-have-unsafe-levels-of-preservatives/ I thought that was to preserve the chillis in prik naam pla.

If you're going to eat Thai food, it's just about impossible to avoid fish sauce. It's added to many dishes whether you know it or not. Personally, I dislike it. Bad smell, bad taste, but I can tolerate it in things like sum tom. Several years ago, channel 11 had a documentary about how fish sauce is made (traditionally, not commercially). It showed these guys dropping whole fish into a large porcelain urn, covering it, and letting it ferment for six months, hence, fish sauce! Yuck!!! So what do you think? Is it a good thing or awful???