Camcontrol, the Kingdom’s quality control body for imports and exports, yesterday announced a new plan to build three mini-laboratories at border checkpoints in order to more thoroughly inspect imported food.

Mak Picharith, Camcontrol director general, made the announcement while inspecting Takhmao Market in Kandal.

Sin Sideth, a spokesman from the Ministry of Commerce, confirmed the announcement, saying that laboratories are already under construction at border checkpoints in Poipet town and Svay Rieng province and the port in Sihanoukville.

“We are going to inspect all imported food that we think is risky,” he said, adding that the eventual goal is to have mini-labs at every border checkpoint, though they are prioritising crossings based on where most imported food enters.

The mini-labs contain basic equipment for identifying dangerous chemicals in food. Just this month, samples of the fish paste prahok imported from Vietnam were found to contain an embalming chemical.

Sideth said he did not yet know how much construction would cost, but estimated the labs would be finished in three to six months.