Dear Bee-Ler's
    I am certainly glad that I have played a small role in some dialogue
that could help US beekeepers. While on my trip and in the National Honey
Board booth I was made aware that at the moment there is no good ,reliable,
affordable test to detect the H-ana cut batches of honey. Honey/money it's
all about money. The Germans and the French are very concerned about this
counterfeit honey problem.
    Now what we must do is take some real action as united voice and push
the NHB and the USDA to find a solution and a test procedure that will scare
Hell out of honey counterfeiters.
    Also while we are all talking to the NHB and USDA the sources of origin
statement on honey sold in the US should be representational of the blend of
the honey. I personally think the statement should state the percentages of
each kind of foreign honey. At present the order that the countries is
meaningless.
    Hope to hear the concerns stayed tuned up. Beekeepers in America are in
for a rough and rude ride unless they wake up and take charge of their
Industry and get the packers under some kind of regulations and controls. At
the moment packers are not required to test honey AT ALL except as they see
fit to protect their liability and they pay big insurance premiums and so
they don't much care about testing for drug contamination or HFCS.
                                                                Walter