Honey Importers.... help!!!

[For want of a better word]

Any honey bought in can contain AFB spores, not only imported honey.

How can we as beekeepers get the "honey bottlers and users" especially the commercial ones to understand the problem and act accordingly.??????????
From my research and another helpful posting, it seems that horse feed and animal feed producers are occasionally inspected.


Which countries are more likely to produce honey with AFB spores.... most of this stuff seems to be coming from Spain


Race horse feed seems to have honey added as a norm.... I suppose when you own a horse worth £££££$$$$$ions then you would feed it the most expensive diet available!

Yeghes da

 

[itma]

How can we as beekeepers get the "honey bottlers and users" especially the commercial ones to understand the problem and act accordingly.??????????

The answer has been given several times on this thread.

...
Round here we have seen AFB outbreaks from both a honey re-packer in Stockport and a user of honey in the manufacture of "munchie bars" in S Cheshire leaving their empty tubs exposed for "our" bees to rob.

In both cases the local bee inspectors visited and made sure that the source was eliminated by making them wash the tubs within their plants.

 

[For want of a better word]

The answer has been given several times on this thread.


Unfortunately I can not imagine that the honey importers, horse feed manufacturers and honey re bottlers / packagers et al will read this thread?

Is there any method in which we can participate, via Government Agencies etc as beekeeperers to push home the potential problem ?

That was the question

Yeghes da

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The answer has been given several times on this thread.


Unfortunately I can not imagine that the honey importers, horse feed manufacturers and honey re bottlers / packagers et al will read this thread?

Is there any method in which we can participate, via Government Agencies etc as beekeeperers to push home the potential problem ?

That was the question

Yeghes da

Maybe get the British Horse Society to run an article in their magazine? If there is even a tenuous link to laminitis (a horse ailment alleged to be triggered by fructans) it might be enough to create serious market influence.

 

[For want of a better word]

Maybe get the British Horse Society to run an article in their magazine? If there is even a tenuous link to laminitis (a horse ailment alleged to be triggered by fructans) it might be enough to create serious market influence.

Great sideways thinking......
Now we need a horsey beekeeperer who can write... any ideas?


Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Tremyfro will have the contacts - with her antecedents.

 

[wessexmario]

Maybe get the British Horse Society to run an article in their magazine? If there is even a tenuous link to laminitis (a horse ailment alleged to be triggered by fructans) it might be enough to create serious market influence.

Great sideways thinking......
Now we need a horsey beekeeperer who can write... any ideas?
Yeghes da

Maybe a horsey forum would be a good place to go, an equivalent of this place would soon get things moving.

 

[For want of a better word]

Maybe a horsey forum would be a good place to go, an equivalent of this place would soon get things moving.

Crikey with my track record they would have me horsewhipped... tarred , feathered ...and expelled to the naughty step for being a Trojan... the horsey equivalent of a Troll!

Can someone with more panache do it pleeeze?

Yeghes da

 

[chrismcd]

Down the drain is nothing to do with it. It's businesses using imported honey and not washing out the containers before releasing them.

Round here we have seen AFB outbreaks from both a honey re-packer in Stockport and a user of honey in the manufacture of "munchie bars" in S Cheshire leaving their empty tubs exposed for "our" bees to rob.

In both cases the local bee inspectors visited and made sure that the source was eliminated by making them wash the tubs within their plants.

Same in North Yorkshire, the Bee Inspector takes it very seriously.

 

[Tremyfro]

Although I wouldn't feed honey....knowingly to my horses....many people don't know it is in the feed they buy. Also....I remember some time ago reading that the sugars in honey didn't actually cause a problem....ie same with diabetics...they can eat honey. I will find out what I can....re the honey for horses question.

 

[Tremyfro]

Apparently....honey in small quantities is ok for horses. Usually not added to feeds intended for laminitis....but might be added instead of molasses. Any feed with sugar content less than 5 % is considered ok for horses. There is a Barefoot Horses facebook site. I used to follow it until I got fed up with the trolls. People with horses which are not shod are much more aware of how feeds affect their horses. People who have horses which are shod....don't notice the subtle differences as the feet of the horse become numb when they wear shoes.
There is a risk of botulism.....with honey from an unknown source....but unlikely.
I wouldn't use it to feed but I do use it in treatments for thrush in feet and on wounds. Some people feed small amounts of local raw honey to horses to help with allergies.....I don't know whether this has helped....only anecdotal information available.
I would have thought that open vats of honey which local bees can access...would be sufficient reasons for inspectors to insist on closed mixing procedures. As regards the public....emphasising the risk of contamination of our local honey from foreign sources would be a good thing. Keep out the foreign imports.....protect our own bees.
The main thing would be to change the procedures at the farm to ensure no access for bees into the imported honey. Explaining the risks to the farm owners should be sufficient.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The main thing would be to change the procedures at the farm to ensure no access for bees into the imported honey.

Only imported honey, so if they are using UK sourced honey that would be no problem, no disease issues,...right.

 

[Tremyfro]

Only imported honey, so if they are using UK sourced honey that would be no problem, no disease issues,...right.

No...that was not what I said. I understood that the honey in question was imported and that it carried a higher risk factor because it was of unknown origin. An origin which might be from AFB areas, or even mixes of honey from different sources some of which might carry AFB.
Clearly, any open honey is a disease risk if it comes from infected colonies. Although, as bees will be meeting up whilst foraging...I don't know how some risk of disease can be avoided. Since there is a strong desire to avoid AFB by Beekeepers in this country and for those who sign up ....taking advantage of regular inspections. Hopefully any outbreaks can quickly be under control.