Canadian beekeepers read good news into the restrictions placed on
Chinese honey imports this month.
Industry representatives say the restrictions should add to the demand
for Canadian honey while forcing China to raise its production
standards.
“It means we are selling into a market that isn’t undercut by inferior
product,” said Phil Veldhuis, president of the Manitoba Beekeepers
Association.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced in mid-May it will stop
all shipments of honey from China until that country has better
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controls on the way its honey is produced.
The detained honey will not be released until testing proves it is free
of drug residues and other adulterants such as foreign sugar.
The move was prompted by a recent CFIA investigation that showed honey
from China and honey blends containing Chinese honey are contaminated
with chloramphenicol.
Health Canada says eating honey tainted with chloramphenicol could pose
human health risks. The antibiotic is banned from use in food-producing
animals in Canada.
Because of the risk, honey of Chinese origin that had already been
distributed in Canada was recalled.
Veldhuis said cheap honey imports from countries with limited drug
regulations have been a concern for some time. Canadian beekeepers meet
more rigorous standards, even though that leaves them with fewer
controls for the diseases and pest insects that can infect hives and
lower honey yields.
Heather Clay, national co-ordinator for the Canadian Honey Council,
said the restrictions on Chinese honey imports should increase demand
for Canadian product. However, at this point there is not a lot of
Canadian honey on the market. Because of high honey prices, most
Canadian beekeepers have already sold last year’s harvest.
With honey supplies tight in Canada, and with the restrictions on
Chinese honey, Clay believes imports from Argentina will increase.
The CFIA has been testing all imports of Chinese honey since March 8.
Of the imports tested up to May 22, none were eligible for release into
the Canadian marketplace, said Eli Neidert, the CFIA’s national manager
for chemical residue programs.
