?>> Cheap, common GRAS additives used for prevention or suppression of 
fungus of food would be ideal and tests of several are scheduled, but the 
progress thus far has been excruciatingly slow.

> GRAS additives are frequently *not safe* in larger quantities. Examples in 
> the bee industry are thymol, menthol, phenol, etc.

You are right, Pete, but given the alternatives, these compounds are least 
likely to attract regulatory objections and most likely to be safe until 
proven otherwise.  Of the examples you cited, some are obviously more likely 
to flunk out in that regard than others.  (You forgot to mention sassafras).

Of course the dose is critical in assessing any substance.  Even healthy 
foods can be harmful if consumed to excess.  The initial problem is to find 
any of the many which work and then the focus shifts to potential collateral 
damage.

Adding complexity to the problem is that some individuals exhibit unusual 
sensitivity to some compounds.  This was the case with sulpha drugs for AFB. 
The concern about antibiotic use was actually secondary to the sensitivity 
issue in the banning of sulfathiazole. 

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