Andy writes some interesting stuff and we should all listen up. This PR
threat is real, and reading this thread makes me appreciate the problem
only better. Maybe the bee industry should step up to the plate and take
responsibility for more enforcement and more testing. Where can the
requirements for testing mandated by the goverenment or anyone else.
        The big packers might imply that they are testing and I wonder is the All
American mentallity of " Let them sue me I have Insurance and I have a
bigger lawyer then they do" might dictate their decission about when to
check and what tollerance levels are permitted.What are the FACTS about
testing and acceptable levels? Maybe a US honey producer based board of
Directors on the National HOney Board might mandate real industry standards
regarding testing import and domestic honey.
 
                        Walter
        " Lord, make my words as sweet as honey, for tommorrow I may have to eat
them."
 
----------
> From: Andy Nachbaur <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: HARD SMOKE
> Date: Wednesday, February 11, 1998 11:34 PM
>
> "Hard Smoke' is what beekeepers do when their bees get out of control. We
> have all done it and sometimes in the heat of the battle a little fire
> comes out and opp's some wings get flamed and a few handful of bees are
> prematurely aged and sent off to a better life.
>
>
> We all live with the fear that some chemical will get into someone's
honey
> and cause a problem for all. Of course you are right but at the same time
> there are private interests outside of the honey production side of the
> industry that are also concerned and do check bulk honey for adulteration
> and farm chemicals, and they do find these cheerless and adulteration in
> honey and because that honey is returned to the producer and any
> information that is required by law to be passed on to the Pure Food &
Drug
> Administration and other government agencies is passed on, only a very
> small amount of the total honey produced in the US is found to be
> contaminated or adulterated as no honey producer can afford to not be
able
> to sell his crop. It is no different for imported honey which is also
> checked by bulk purchasers and foreign honey is found to be contaminated,
> adulterated, or with farm chemicals and it is also rejected from sale.
This
> also is a small percentage of the total amount imported because of the
high
> costs involved to those who are caught. So we do have some protection
from
> government and private interests checking our honey.
 
The danger is that
> down the road someone will put all these measures together in such a way
as
> to put fear in the minds of the public and we will suffer the loss of our
> good public will for Honey. The danger is real and it would not
necessarily
> take some new contamination or adulteration to have a real PR problem,
kind
> of like our/your President with all his old girlfriends coming out of the
> closet.<G>