Bob Harrison said:

> I doubt a beekeeper would choose streptomycin to use in a beehive
> because of cost. I have used streptomycin to fight a severe case of
> fire blight in the orchard but expensive.

Well, these folks (http://www.biacore.com) sell a diagnostic kit using
"surface plasmon resonance" for the detection of streptomycin, and from
what they say, it appears that not only do some (unknown group of) people
appear to overtly use it for bees, but that spraying trees for fireblight can
also result in contaminated honey if those trees are foraged by bees:

http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/spr/CatalogueCD/CataloguePDF/BiacoreQ%20and%20QKits/Prodinfo_Streptomycin.pdf

   "Streptomycin is also used for the treatment of bacterial honeybee diseases,
   such as European Foulbrood, and is also intensively used for the control of
   fireblight, which affects fruit trees mainly during blossom. Consequently
   tree-spraying with high concentrations of streptomycin creates a
   contamination chain: pollen-nectar-bee-honey."

Are they guessing here, or do they know something that beekeepers don't about
this "contamination chain"?



Something else "of interest" - on page 844 of the December 2002 American Bee Journal
(which arrived on November 26, apparently via another of those pesky wormhole time-warps)
there is a letter entitled "Let's Tell The Truth" from a Mr. Hubert Tubbs, VP of the American Honey
Producers Association.

In this letter, his tone makes it clear that the services of Henry Kissinger and several
divisions of UN peacekeeping troops will be required to get the ABF and the AHPA to
play nicely with each other, but he also makes a few serious accusations, including:

   "The [US] National Honey Board, American Beekeeping Federation, and
   some [assumed US] packers wanted the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration]
   to set tolerances on chloramphenicol in [Red] Chinese honey, but the American
   Honey Producers said "NO WAY".  We told the National Honey Board that the honey
   industry needed zero percent tolerance on chloramphenicol.  With the AHPA working
   with the FDA, the government has started checking Chinese honey at the port of entry."

I don't know if this claim is accurate, but regardless, someone needs to explain to
ABF and AHPA that it really is OK to make peace with one's "enemies", as making
peace with one's friends is unnecessary.



Here's yet something else that is "interesting" - the import/export trading message board over
at "ebigchina.com" reveals that there is at least one European importer/packer who is willing
to accept a low level of streptomycin contamination (20 ppb) in the honey he buys from China,
and, given his "specs", has apparently been aware that honey from China was contaminated
with streptomycin since 2000.

Or is the packer an unwitting customer in Germany, and is the knowledgeable importer a business
based in Cairo, run/owned by a guy who lives on Long Island (New York, USA)?  I dunno.
Anyone ever heard of this guy?

(Just keep clicking "cancel" in reply to the username/password prompt that will appear several times when pulling up this link):

http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:4DpHS9HZPjUC:rom.ebigchina.com/rom-men18863.html+streptomycin+honey&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

  Wanted Bulk Honey

  We would like to have the pleasure to start business relationship with your company
  Importing (Bulk Honey ) from your company .

  We do have a buyer how is interested to buy honey. Prices should be competitive and
  should be around $850/MT to $900/MT maximum CFR hamburg.
  We would be pleased to receive your firm offers for all the types of honey you mention
  but we have no interest on other products, only honey in bulk. Providing you can supply
  us good quality honey at competitive prices, we certainly would be pleased to buy honey
  regularly from you.

  Please send us your best-detailed offers for 2 containers of each type
  (about 40 MT) with your delivery schedule and prices on basis CFR Hamburg,
  Germany.

  All honey should be packed in drums of about 300 kgs net, clean inside and
  outside, not waxed, suitable for Foodstuff and with lacquer approved for
  honey. The goods must be shipped in 20" containers with about 18-20 MT.
  With regard to specification, it should be in accordance to the German food
  Laws and honey regulations. But in the main the quality are parameters
  should be as follows:

  Moisture max 18%
  HMF max 15 mg/kg
  Diastase min 15
  Reducing sugars min 65%
  Sucrose max 5%
  Acidity value max 40mVal/kg
  Colour max as agreed
  Starch content max 10% by pollen count
  Glycerol max 200 ppm
  Yeast max 200.000/10 gr honey
  C D F max 10 ppb
  Bee repellent (Phenol, Benzoldehyde, etc) max 50 ppb
  Antibiotics - not detectable (that means ss than 10 ppb)
  Sulphonamide not detectable
  Tetracycline not detectable
  Coumaphos max 10ppb
  Streptomycin max 20 ppb
  C-13 value -23,5 or more negative. Protein difference -1,0 or more positive

  Pure and unadulterated, not fermented, without any residues, according to
  German Food laws and Honey Regulations

  Our Buyer normal payment terms are : 80% Against presentation of documents and
  the remaining 20% within 20 days after arrival and approval at buyer warehouse.

  We do not accept any pre-shipment samples. In case these are requested,
  samples must be sent to the following address mentioning my name as
  reference :

    10 Ahmad Kamal St - Heliopolis -
    Cairo - Egypt
    Paradise Trade Company
    Mr.Mosallam Abdallah

  However, no samples are to be sent without specific
  instructions from me.

  I look forward to receiving your reply.

  Post Date [ 2000 / 06 / 09 ]  Expires Date [ 2001 / 06 / 04 ]

      Paradise INC.
      Contact Person:  Mossallam Abdallah
      Region/Country:  United States of America
      Address:  1385 M St, Elmont 11003 USA
      Phone:     1-516-437-5681
      Fax Number:   1-516-437-5690