Thanks Bill It is my understanding the Chinese can buy any animal medication over the counter, antibiotics or whatever. No prescription, no vet, no doctor. A large part of the E.U. sanctions (on chickens, honey or whatever) is to get the Chinese Government to tidy this law up, or more correctly get some controls on drug use. This is much more than pure honey. Most beekeepers know about drug resistance in bees but we are talking drug resistance in humans and animals (like chickens) in our food chain. The people imposing sanctions on Chinese foodstuffs are saying "Tidy up your drug laws. Then we can talk about trade". Trade goods are merely a tool to get drug misuse in China stopped. Kevin Gibbs >but SARS seems to fit the profile of misused > antibiotics. It might not be, but based on what is being found in honey > and other food coming out of China, the mis-use of antibiotics seems to > be cultural and either not a problem of or encouraged by the government. > > And that is scary, not just for beekeepers but for the world's population. > > Bill Truesdell > Bath, Maine > > :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: > -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- > :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: > > --- Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.467 / Virus Database: 266 - Release Date: 1/04/2003 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::