EDMONTON – Lead-based paint on the outside of metal drums from China, India and Ecuador have forced Canadian beekeepers to adopt new standards when transporting honey.
Drums originally used to ship juice from China have long been used to hold Canadian honey.
Beekeepers use new, reconditioned and used metal 45 gallon drums to transport bulk honey, including the used juice drums.
The problem was spotted in 2007 when an Alberta honey producer shipped two drums of honey to the United States but left on the original Chinese juice label.
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The label caught the attention of American border officials, said Tim Townsend, an Alberta beekeeper, who sat on the committee to develop new standards for the drums.
“They looked until they found a problem,” he said.
Lead-based paint wasn’t found in the inside of the drum, but Townsend said the possibility that lead could flake off and contaminate the honey raised a red flag.
“There was never a problem with the drum, but there was a potential of a problem,” he said.
When honey producers started checking the drums, they found lead-based paint was also on drums from India and Ecuador. It might also be used on drums from other countries.
The Canadian Honey Council committee discovered that many liners used inside drums in the past have not met food grade standards required when honey is stored or heated.
Using only new or reconditioned metal drums will cost honey producers about twice as much, but Townsend said the discovery was good for the industry.
“We’re already doing so many things to maintain quality. This is one more thing to keep quality there,” he said.
All honey from the 2009 Canadian honey crop must follow the new drum guidelines. Canada is 13th on the list of honey producers in the world, producing 27,000 tonnes in 2007.
