22 September 2026
A European Commission audit evaluating Thailand’s poultry production chain has uncovered significant and systemic shortcomings in the country’s official export control and certification systems. The audit, conducted by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) between June 4 and June 23, 2026, concluded that while Thailand maintains a comprehensive administrative and legal framework, current official guarantees for poultry shipments to the European Union are materially undermined.
The audit team identified critical failures across key stages of the production chain:
- Slaughterhouse & Veterinary Oversight: Flaws were detected in ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections. In several facilities, bird slaughter commenced before necessary clinical evaluations were completed. Additionally, post-mortem line re-processing and condemnation decisions were improperly left to slaughterhouse personnel rather than veterinary officials, alongside unaddressed risks of faecal cross-contamination.
- Traceability & Product Segregation: Serious gaps were found in product segregation, where EU-eligible poultry was not reliably separated from non-EU-eligible raw materials. In one processing plant, meat products destined for the EU were produced using minced meat from unapproved establishments.
- HACCP, Water Safety & Certifications: Official verification of establishment HACCP plans proved inadequate, with supervising officers unable to properly validate critical parameters such as heat-treatment records. Serious deficiencies were also documented in water chlorination controls, follow-up procedures regarding past Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications, and the issuing of export health attestations.
The European Commission has issued targeted recommendations urging Thailand's Department of Livestock Development (DLD) to overhaul veterinary inspection protocols, retrain official staff, and tighten traceability and certification standards to restore compliance with EU food safety requirements.
European Commission, DG SANTE Final Audit Report: “Thailand – Official controls related to poultry meat and products to be exported to the EU” (Ref. Ares(2026)8590742 / DG(SANTE) CT-2026-0188).
