Chemicals In Honey

While Honey is viewed as a clean natural food, it may not be as pure as we all would like. Bees are infact, seen as a method of sampling and gauging the presence of chemicals in an environment. Organic certification bodies such as IFOAM and BioGro (New Zealand) have a series of Standards which must be met before honey can be considered "Organic."

So what might get into Honey? Well, all honey contains small ammounts of Pollen, which is seen as more likely than the honey to contain chemicals.

Some of these chemicals can be put into the hives by the beekeepers.

Bee Robber- Butyric acid is used to temporarily drive the bees from the hive during harvesting operations. A fume board with Honey Robber (butyric acid) on cloth on the inside of a fume board drives the bees out. Butyric acid is the acid that gives beer its flavor
Anti-biotics- Fumidil-B and Terramycin for the Prevention of Diseases such as American Foulbrood, Nosema and European Foulbrood
Fluvalinate- A pyrethrin based insecticide palced in hives to treat the Varroa Mite, clings to the waxes in a hive. Are the "natural" bees waxes used in medicinal salves free of fluvalinate?

Photo courtesy of The Pollenation Scene