Scope
Notification of Ministry of Public Health No. 414 B.E. 2563 applies to food contaminants in foods under Thailand’s Food Act. Clause 4 requires contaminants to stay within Annex 1 maximum levels; where Annex 1 does not cover a contaminant-food combination, the notification points to the updated Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed, and then to Codex criteria for establishing acceptable levels.
HMI records Annex 1 Table 1 heavy-metal rows for cadmium, tin, lead, methylmercury, total mercury, inorganic arsenic, and total arsenic. Mycotoxins, hydrocyanic acid, cyclopropenoid fatty acid, melamine, cyanuric acid, monomers, chloropropanols, and radionuclides are outside this regulatory metal-limit ingest. Clause 6 excludes food additives and processing aids, drinking water in sealed containers, and natural mineral water.
Exact limit and units
Annex 1 Table 1 states maximum levels in mg/kg. The structured evidence register converts them to ug/kg by multiplying by 1000.
| Species | Matrix | Limit | Unit | Structured value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cadmium (Cd) | Cereal grains excluding buckwheat, canihua, quinoa, wheat, and rice | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Polished rice | 0.4 | mg/kg | 400 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Wheat, including common wheat, durum wheat, spelt, and emmer | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Brassica vegetables excluding Brassica leafy vegetables | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Leafy vegetables, including Brassica leafy vegetables | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Stalk and stem vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Fruiting vegetables | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Root and tuber vegetables excluding celeriac | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Bulb vegetables | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Legume vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Pulses excluding dried soya bean | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Chocolate products with >=50% and <70% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis | 0.8 | mg/kg | 800 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Chocolate products with >=70% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis | 0.9 | mg/kg | 900 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Fish | 1.0 | mg/kg | 1000 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Cephalopods | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Marine bivalve mollusks, excluding oysters and scallops | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Gastropoda | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Food-grade salt | 0.5 | mg/kg | 500 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Tea and herbal tea | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Food supplement | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| cadmium (Cd) | Seaweed | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Canned beverages | 150 | mg/kg | 150000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Canned foods other than beverages | 250 | mg/kg | 250000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Corned beef in containers other than tinplate containers | 50 | mg/kg | 50000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Luncheon meat in containers other than tinplate containers | 50 | mg/kg | 50000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Cooked cured ham in containers other than tinplate containers | 50 | mg/kg | 50000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Cooked cured chopped meat in containers other than tinplate containers | 50 | mg/kg | 50000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Cooked cured pork shoulder in containers other than tinplate containers | 50 | mg/kg | 50000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Jams, jellies, and marmalades | 250 | mg/kg | 250000 ug/kg |
| tin (Sn) | Foods other than the listed tin categories | 250 | mg/kg | 250000 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Cereal grains excluding buckwheat, canihua, and quinoa | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Brassica vegetables excluding kale and leafy Brassica vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fruiting vegetables | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Leafy vegetables, including leafy Brassica vegetables, excluding spinach | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Root and tuber vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Bulb vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Legume vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Canned vegetables | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Preserved tomatoes | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Pickled cucumbers | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fruits excluding cranberry, currant, and elderberry | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Berries and other small fruits excluding cranberry, currant, and elderberry | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Cranberry | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Elderberry | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Currants | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fruit juices excluding juices exclusively from berries and other small fruits | 0.03 | mg/kg | 30 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fruit juices exclusively from berries and other small fruits, excluding grape juice | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Grape juice | 0.04 | mg/kg | 40 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Canned fruits | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Mango chutney | 0.4 | mg/kg | 400 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Jams, jellies, and marmalades | 0.4 | mg/kg | 400 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Table olives | 0.4 | mg/kg | 400 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Pulses | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Canned chestnuts and canned chestnut puree | 0.05 | mg/kg | 50 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fresh farmed common, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Meat of cattle, pigs, and sheep, including fat from the meat | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Meat and fat of poultry | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fish | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Edible offal of cattle | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Edible offal of pig | 0.15 | mg/kg | 150 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Edible offal of poultry | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Black egg, century egg, millennium egg, or preserved egg | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Milk and secondary milk products | 0.02 | mg/kg | 20 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Fat spreads and blended spreads | 0.04 | mg/kg | 40 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Infant formula, formula for special medical purposes intended for infants, and follow-up formula | 0.01 | mg/kg | 10 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Electrolyte drinks | 0.3 | mg/kg | 300 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Tea and herbal tea | 0.5 | mg/kg | 500 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Food-grade salt | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Edible fats and oils | 0.08 | mg/kg | 80 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Food supplement | 1.0 | mg/kg | 1000 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Wine | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| lead (Pb) | Food other than the listed lead categories | 1.0 | mg/kg | 1000 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Predator fish other than marlin, alfonsino, shark, and tuna | 1.0 | mg/kg | 1000 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Marlin | 1.7 | mg/kg | 1700 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Alfonsino | 1.5 | mg/kg | 1500 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Shark | 1.6 | mg/kg | 1600 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Tuna | 1.2 | mg/kg | 1200 ug/kg |
| methylmercury (MeHg) | Other marine animals or plants | 0.5 | mg/kg | 500 ug/kg |
| total mercury (tHg) | Food supplement | 0.5 | mg/kg | 500 ug/kg |
| total mercury (tHg) | Food-grade salt | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| total mercury (tHg) | Food other than the listed total-mercury categories | 0.02 | mg/kg | 20 ug/kg |
| inorganic arsenic (iAs) | Polished rice | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| inorganic arsenic (iAs) | Husked rice | 0.35 | mg/kg | 350 ug/kg |
| inorganic arsenic (iAs) | Fish oils | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| inorganic arsenic (iAs) | Other marine animals or plants and their products | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Fat spreads and blended spreads | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Edible fats and oils | 0.1 | mg/kg | 100 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Tea and herbal tea | 0.2 | mg/kg | 200 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Food supplement | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Food-grade salt | 0.5 | mg/kg | 500 ug/kg |
| total arsenic (tAs) | Food other than the listed arsenic categories | 2.0 | mg/kg | 2000 ug/kg |
Annex 1 note (1) states that maximum levels apply to the described portion and that concentration factors or extraction rates should be calculated for foods changed by primary processing, such as drying, reconstitution, or dilution. Note (4) allows total mercury as a screening method for methylmercury rows; if total mercury is above the methylmercury maximum level, methylmercury follow-up testing is required. Note (5) provides the equivalent total-arsenic screening rule for inorganic arsenic rows.
How tested
Clause 5 sends analytical-method requirements to Annex 2. Annex 2 allows methods issued by Codex for contaminants, methods issued by national organizations or international standards organizations, or internationally recognized manuals/publications. Methods must be consistent, accurate, reliable, validated by collaborative study or single-laboratory validation under international guidelines, and documented in compliance with the latest ISO/IEC 17025 version.
Annex 1 notes also define screening logic for two species-specific rows: total mercury can screen methylmercury, and total arsenic can screen inorganic arsenic, with confirmatory species-specific testing required when the screening result exceeds the species-specific maximum level.
Enforcement posture
The notification prescribes contaminated food as standard food under the Food Act. Clause 4 states that foods must not contain contaminants above Annex 1 levels, Codex CXS 193 levels where applicable, or acceptable levels calculated under Codex contaminant criteria with supporting evidence from the producer or importer.
History of changes
The notification was signed on 20 March 2020 and published in the Government Gazette Vol. 137, Special Part 118 Ngor, on 20 May 2020. Clause 7 states that it comes into force 180 days after publication, which HMI records as 16 November 2020.
Clause 1 repeals MOPH Notification No. 98 B.E. 2529 (1986) and MOPH Notification No. 273 B.E. 2546 (2003).
How it compares
Thailand Notification 414 is a broad national food-contaminant schedule with a Codex fallback for unlisted contaminant-food combinations. It is comparable to Codex CXS 193, EU contaminant regulations, and other national maximum-level schedules, but comparisons must preserve the table’s species distinctions: methylmercury rows are not total-mercury rows, and inorganic-arsenic rows are not total-arsenic rows.
The lead formula row is explicitly “formula as consumed,” while the cadmium tea/herbal-tea row is on dried materials and the lead tea/herbal-tea row is ready to drink. Those basis differences should remain visible in any downstream strictest-limit comparison.
Sources
Update history
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