Thailand buries 65 tons of durian tainted with yellow dye rejected by China

By Dat Nguyen February 6, 2025 | 07:43 pm PT

A worker piles freshly harvested durians at an orchard in Chumphon, Thailand, Sept. 18, 2023. Photo by AFP

Thailand has buried 64.7 tons of durians after they were rejected by China for being contaminated with a yellow dye, the country’s Agriculture Department said.

The department on Thursday confirmed that the fruits contained Basic Yellow 2 substance after conducting its own test, according to The Nation.

Basic Yellow 2 is often used to enhance the color of durian. Some exporters are believed to have dipped the fruit in the dye to make them look more ripe and yellow.

Thailand has suspended the export licenses of 26 durian wholesalers linked to the contaminated shipments.

Its agriculture ministry will also update its durian export guidelines to prevent future occurrences.

The discovery of the dye has prompted China to implement a mandatory lab testing for yellow dye on all durian imports, including those from Vietnam.

Only labs approved by China are authorized to conduct the test, and China’s delayed recognition of Vietnam’s testing laboratories caused many shipments to be stuck in January.

It was not until the end of last month that China approved a list of nine laboratories, leaving businesses unable to test their products in time.

Vietnam is actively negotiating with China to expand the list of approved laboratories to facilitate smoother customs clearance.

China imported a record US$6.99 billion worth of durians last year, with 57% of them coming from Thailand, followed by Vietnam with a 41.5% share.