The editor of the "Speedy Bee" has confirmed that the
report made on the "Bio-Bee" mailing list was an accurate
summary of the facts, and the story cited WAS published
in the "Speedy Bee" as claimed.

  Sadly, he interpreted my use of the phrase "if true" as
  questioning of the accuracy of his publication.

  I should make it clear that I was only questioning the
  accuracy of the specific statement made on the "Bio-Bee"
  mailing list.

  The lack of even a single word about this elsewhere made
  me wonder if it really was in the "Speedy Bee".  (That's
  why I asked if anyone still had a subscription to the
  "Speedy Bee". My subscription seems to have lapsed.)

So, back to the actual issue - the EU's ban on US honey...

Q: How many different foods does the US export to Europe?

A: Small to serious amounts of nearly everything we grow
   or raise. (They appear to not want any of the genetically
   modified stuff, which is their prerogative.)


Q: And how many food items from the USA are BANNED due
   to a failure of the FDA to comply with the EU's residue
   monitoring requirements?

A: Just honey.


Q: And which other countries can't comply with EU residue
   monitoring requirements, and have also had one or more
   of their food exports "banned"?

A: A few "Developing Nations".  (Formerly called "Third-World
   Nations" before everyone got so touchy-feely, hyper-sensitive,
   and "politically correct".)


Q: But the USA does not export much honey to the EU, do they?

A: The USA exported an average of $7.6 million worth of honey
   each year for the past 5 years.  An average of $1.2 million
   of that went to EU countries each year.  That's about 15% of
   total US honey exports. (Per numbers crunched by the USDA,
   and published in a document sent to me by the helpful editor
   of the "Speedy Bee".)



----------------------------------------------------------------
Political Correctness Annotation Section for the Humor-Impaired
Who Might Be In Some Way Offended By Any Of The Comments Above
----------------------------------------------------------------

1) The use of quotation marks around the name of a publication,
   such as "Speedy Bee" is a common way to indicate a title, and
   should not be read as an attempt at satire, humor, or parody.

2) There is no connection between the newsletter "Speedy Bee" and
   the very popular beekeeping product "Fischer's Bee-Quick".
   (http://www.bee-quick.com) To date, there has been no analysis
   of the respective velocity of a "speedy" versus a "quick" bee.
   I dunno which might be faster.  Don't really care.

3) I honestly don't have a complete list of what USA foods are exported
   to Europe, but when in Europe, I've never noticed a lack of food brands
   and cooking ingredients familiar in the USA.  (They even have Guinness ale
   and Voisin chocolates!)

4) No comment is made on the whole genetically modified food issue,
   except to quote Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels":

       "Whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades
        of grass grow upon a spot of ground where only one
        grew before would deserve better of mankind, and do
        more essential service to his country than the whole
        race of politicians put together."

5) No claim is made that EU residue monitoring program requirements are
   "unfair" or "excessive".  Since most all of the food exporting nations
   appear to have been able to "comply" for all but a tiny number of
   exports, they can't be terribly onerous.

6) No slight is intended against any "Developing Nation".  Sometimes
   I wonder if "developing" was such a great idea for any nation.

7) No slight is intended against the "Bio-Bee" mailing list or its
   members.  I read some of what they talk about, even though I am
   forced to slog through the tedious "Yahoo Groups" user interface.

8) No slight was intended against the person who posted the report
   on the "Bio-Bee" mailing list.  One is well-advised to question
   anything they read on the internet, including questions about
   the accuracy of what one reads on the internet.

9) Every possible slight is intended against the "Yahoo Groups"
   facility.  Just try using it on a wireless Palm Pilot sometime,
   and only then will you understand just how incompetent a group
   of Java coders work for Yahoo.  It's like a John Deer combine at
   the drag races.  More sad than funny, but a complete disaster either way.


                        jim

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