Introduction

Imported honey laundering is a US health risk. An investigative report into imported honey issues a health warning to consumers. Chinese honey may contain a powerful antibiotic called chloramphenicol. The US, Canada and Europe have banned the use of this antibiotic in food for good reason; a small portion of the population has a deadly reaction to it. Some of the Chinese honeys have also tested positive for various other antibiotics.

My Notes

Spanish chemists have found a way to simultaneously identify the presence of 17 antibiotics in honey. What's even more impressive is that they can do this in less than 10 minutes. This is an important discovery. Traces of antibiotics used to treat diseases in bees can sometimes find their way into commercial brands of honey. This is not good news for consumers.

The researchers were from the University of Almería (UAL). The lead author of the study was Antonia Garrido, who had this to say:

“The method we have developed means we can now simultaneously detect various kinds of antibiotic residues in all honey.”

The residues Antonia Garrido refers to are:

• Macrolides
• Tetracyclines
• Quinolones
• Sulfonamides

The Method Used

To develop this method the researchers employed ultra-performance liquid chromatography. This is a technique that makes it possible to separate the components of a sample. It works together with mass spectrometry. This is what permits the simultaneous identification of up to 17 antibiotics.

These multi-residue methods are extremely useful. It means it's possible to detect groups of antibiotics within a single sample and in one analysis. Perhaps most impressive of all is the speed in which this analysis is completed. In most cases, chromatography analysis takes less than 10 minutes. Because of this, the method could easily be used routinely in laboratories.

In his report, Garrido stresses that low concentrations of antibiotics do not represent a direct risk to consumers. However, he does warn that excessive or undue use of these veterinary products could have an effect on food security. This is why testing is so necessary.

You can read the full piece on Science Daily:

New Method Used to Detect Antibiotics in Honey
Source: Plataforma SINC | May 13, 2009

Summary

The US, Europe and Canada have a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to the presence of antibiotic residues in honey. That doesn't mean it doesn't find its way onto supermarket shelves because it does. But with more efficient and faster testing, at least we're in a better position to crackdown on this potentially dangerous problem.