Dangerous antibiotic still found in imported honey
December 30th, 2008 joshua
Inspections of some supplies of imported honey still reveal traces of the dangerous antibiotic chloramphenicol.
The antiobiotic - typically only used to treat the most severe illnesses in humans - was used to treat a contagious bacterial epidemic in China in 1997. The bacteria was infecting the hives and bee larvae in China.
The U.S., sadly, imports most of its honey supply, and China was previously our biggest supplier.
Beekeepers in China could have either destroyed the hives and started anew, or apply the antibiotic.
The U.S., Canada and European Union have zero-tolerance policies on chloramphenicol and the Chinese government banned its use in food products in 2005.
However, finding an outlawed product in a product imported from China or other developing nations is not uncommon, actually more commonplace, something that keeps the press release writers of the FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission busy 9-to-5.
And as that is typical, so is the FDA’s response. Regulators believe trace amounts of the antibiotic are not dangerous to humans, though it considers adulterated chemicals like it to be dangerous.
