2002
________________________________________________________________ Sept/Oct Antibiotics in Honey Apicure is Here (On Paper) Brief Research Reviews Bee Sim Something CSBA 2002 Convention New Organic Time Joe Traynor's Study Pest Management Guidelines ________________________________________________________________ Antibiotics in Honey The recent discovery of traces (0.3 to 34.0 ppb) of the antibiotic chloramphenicol in honey has rocked the honey industry. Many countries are sampling and analyzing bulk honey shipments for illegal antibiotic residues. How could an antibiotic get into honey (or crayfish)? Probably by the use of the antibiotic in hives to prevent or cure honey bee diseases. This is not a new procedure. Anti-biotics frequently are used in animal health programs to prevent disease and promote faster growth. Our use of oxytetracycline in swine, poultry, and honey bees are examples. The problem comes from the use of unregistered antibiotics in the food chain. In the case of chloramphenicol, that antibiotic is reserved in US medicine for combatting stubborn, resistant bacterial infections of humans. Chloramphenicol is a potent antibiotic. In a very few people it can cause a lethal blood disease, even when administered in miniscule amounts. Thus, the big concern over chloramphenicol. From the point of view of honey, there are no "tolerances" for antibiotics. A tolerance is the maximum amount of a substance residue that is permitted to be in a product after the substance has been used as a "pesticide&quo...
9-10-02