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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
James Fischer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:07:08 -0400
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>> Insects are food in many cuisines. They may not appeal to me personally, but how are they less clean than other animals? Some of my favorite foods are arthropods.

Opinions aside, there are regulations to obey, and while one might claim that insects were a valid ingredient (mmm, protein!) to date, consumer demand for honey with crunchy bee legs to confirm the use of authentic old-world artisanal harvesting methods just hasn't been very strong.
So, best to follow the regulations, as the alternative is to have "food unfit for human consumption". Here’s the applicable one for the USA, other countries have similar rules:

https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook
https://tinyurl.com/2p9r64xj

Quoting:

"CONTAMINATION:

Addition of foreign material, (e.g., dirt, hair, excreta, non-invasive insects, machinery mold) to a product...

EXTRANEOUS MATERIALS:

Any foreign matter in a product associated with objectionable conditions or practices in production, storage, or distribution. Includes: objectionable matter contributed by insects, rodents, and birds; decomposed material; and miscellaneous matter such as sand, soil, glass, rust, or other foreign substances.

INFESTATION:

The presence of any live or dead life cycle stages of insects in a host product..."

It goes on, but the point here is pretty clear.

(I could explain Rayleigh scattering, and offer the opinion that the sky is thereby "blue", and get an argument...)

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