*FYI* ripped off the sci.arg.beekeeping news group
 
On Tue, 15 Dec 1998 08:16:10 -0800, [log in to unmask] (Peter Amschel)
wrote:
 
>California already has laws against such adulteration.
 
You are right and I am yet to be convinced that this sugar company,
Dhampur in India is a new threat to our Honey industry or wishes us
harm in any way but to be honest the arguement that has perked my
interest is that they advertise that chemically their product H-ana
(Honey-analog) can not be differentiated from honey.
 
I do not believe this, yet, but some beekeepers are saying its so as
they have, they say, contacted labs that could not through standard
chemical sugar or honey analysis say it was not honey. All should be
aware that some labs can not tell the difference between enzyme
processed HF or HFC syrups and Honey but these are not the labs that
suspicious samples of honey should be sent too. I must also say I have
asked the Dhampur Sugar company for a sample of H-ana for analysis and
they have shipped it today, they say. I will give it the OLd Drones 98
cent honey test before I send it off for a look see at our friendly
sugar company lab who have hopes we beekeepers will prevail in keeping
another sugar competitor away from our shores. Sugar today to the
growers in the US is a loss and they are receiving 7-15% less then
five or six  years ago on a much reduced acreage, so they say.
 
One thing for sure the Dhampur cane sugar company does make a product
of invert sugar they call a honey-analog or H-ana and their promotion
would lead most reasonable people to believe they are selling it to
beekeepers and honey packers all over the world to blend with honey
50/50 or 1 to 1 to sell the resulting sugar product as honey.. This
sucks or stinks, don't know which is politically correct these days as
Clinton gave one or the other a bad name.
 
****Anyway this is not right and I would suggest the first cause of action
by worried honey producers is to visit the Dhampur web site and let
them know what you think after a look see.  They don't get that many
visitors and I am sure if they were to get some constructive critiques
of their businesses practices they would take note of it.***
 
The Dhampur company is rated 360 out of the 500 largest companies in India
and had
sales in 1996 of about 450 million $ US. I suspect or I want to think
that something may be lost in the translation from Indian to English
and also would not be surprised if the company knows of any problem
with honey producers as this product is one of many HF and HFC
products that can be fed to bees and they would like to sell you some
to do just that.
 
If this easy effort does not work then there is the world trade courts
but beekeepers in the US got burned badly when they went into debt to
make a successful case against unfair China Honey trade practices when
Canadian interests took the honey that could not be shipped to the US
by treaty between China and the US and transshipped it to the US as a
"Product of Canada" circumventing the ruling against China.
 
This was no small deal and is much bigger in $$ value to US beekeepers
then all the Indian HF shipped to the US to this date no matter what
you call it. It is interesting to note the interest in Dhampur and
Honey-analog has started in Canada but of course we don't want to be
unfair as I am sure none of the honey producers there knew anything
about the Chinease-Canadian Honey deal or would admit to it.
 
You can find web connections to Dhampur and other information on
Honey-analog or H-ana at: http://beenet.com/bnews.htm
 
Chow, the OLd Drone
 
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