February 8, 2023

Thailand has updated its regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Notification No. 431 B.E. 2565 (2022) (Foods Derived from Genetically Modified Organisms) and Ministerial Notification No. 432 (Labeling of GM Foods) went into force on December 4, 2022. The updates and implementation of these regulations are also posted on the Thai Food and Drug Administration website.

The MOPH Ministerial Notifications No. 431 and No. 432 categorize GMO foods into three groups:

• - Group 1: Plants, animals, and microorganisms that are edited, trimmed, modified, or altered genetic material or incorporated new genetic material from modern biotechnology and consumed as food.
• - Group 2: Food products that use Group 1 as food ingredients or manufactured from Group 1
• - Group 3: Produced from Group 1 that is used as a food ingredient, food additive, or nutrient.

Notification No. 432 requires packaged food products that contain GM ingredients equal to or greater than 5 percent of the total weight with detectable GMOs and recombinant protein resulting from biotechnology to be labeled, stating the product contains GMOs. Packaged foods with intentional GM plants or animals of less than 5 percent must also be labeled.

For more details on Thailand's updated GMO regulations, download the GAIN Report.