Raid on Imported Honey By Homeland Security

[Brian D. Bray]

This is worth reading.  A raid on illegally imported Chinese honey right here in Washington state.
It gives a little insight to just how big a problem it really is.  Gives the term "Chinese Laundry" a whole new meaning.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394053_honey30.asp

[tlynn]

Great article.  I'd make reprints and use as a marketing tool for our honey.

I can't remember the last time I read about something good coming out of China.  Poisoned pet food, poisoned milk.  I read somewhere that by 2015 in the US we will import 30% of our food from there.  How scary is that?  I saw garlic at a store recently, marked from China and asked the produce manager why they were getting garlic from China.  It's cheaper than garlic grown in the US he said.  Imagine that...produce from thousands of miles away is cheaper than what we can grow here.  If this is globalization I am going to expand my garden!  Another reason to support local farmers' markets and your organic food stores. 

Maybe we'll be soon looking for a "grown in the USA sticker!"

[BjornBee]

I can not get the site to come up..... 

[buzzbee]

The link is fixed

[BjornBee]

Good article buzz. But it must be a different one as it really said nothing about a raid on Chinese honey.

Ok, got the other one. Thank you.

Buzz,
Can you put that other link back up? I would like to print it out and have lost it.  Thank you.

[Greg Peck]

Bjorn The story you wanted might be one of these http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/honey/

[BjornBee]

Bjorn The story you wanted might be one of these http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/honey/

Thank you Greg.
Yes, it's the one "Experts call for better U.S. standards".

[JP]

Thanks for posting the article Brian. On a brighter note, I have a chinese customer that buys my honey by the gallon. She likes the real stuff. She claims she needs the real stuff for good health and I want her to be healthy of course!

I should get some labels to put on her containers that say "made in USA"


...JP

[manfre]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

[JP]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.


...JP

[Shawn]

Great article. Thanks for posting!

[BjornBee]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.


...JP

If one would only knew the truth, you would think twice about buying honey from that next farm stand you run across while driving down that country lane........  

[KONASDAD]

This is a great article and it was already posted in article section as well. Its importanta and belongs in general section.
I sent link to all of my customers as a marketing tool. I really like the fact that Sue-Bee is caught up in this as they are every where.

[Big John]

Another good reason to make country of origin labels mandatory on ALL products!

[BjornBee]

I've often wondered about trying to be "domestic" for year. Something to see if one could just buy nothing but american products, and keep a record of one's problems. I used to see "Buy American" bumper stickers, but it seemed they were just marketing for "Buy Union" which meant "Buy Crap!"

Anymore, it seems "buy American" or buy local, beyond food products on small scale, is not even seen. A real shame.  But I guess it's all global now for most things. Steel workers want all steel to be American made. And I suppose it's the same with clothing, honey, and anything else. Each group looks at their own small market, but think nothing of those markets outside their own profession or product thay are involved with. Price is still king for most things with most people. Reading the fine print, even if the country of origin was mentioned, would mean little to most.

[tlynn]

Anymore, it seems "buy American" or buy local, beyond food products on small scale, is not even seen. A real shame.  But I guess it's all global now for most things. Steel workers want all steel to be American made. And I suppose it's the same with clothing, honey, and anything else. Each group looks at their own small market, but think nothing of those markets outside their own profession or product thay are involved with. Price is still king for most things with most people. Reading the fine print, even if the country of origin was mentioned, would mean little to most.

I agree for the most part.  We choose our food based on whether or not it's organic, and price is irrelevant.  That's non-negotiable.  For most everything else, availability is the key factor and probably price.  I would generally be willing to pay pay more for an equal American made product, but they just aren't available.  I do remember buying these nice US made wood clamps for like twice the money of some Chinese made clamps, but that's a rare exception.  Go to Home Depot and see all the "Workforce" brand items everywhere and all made in China.  How far do I have to search to find any consumer electronic product that isn't made in China, or even more remotely, is made in the US?  Try finding something made in the US in that good old patriotic American company, WalMart.  I walked around in a WalMArt one day looking for something made in the US and the only 2 things I found besides foods were American flags and a stationary set.  And I wouldn't be surprised if the flag fabric was made in Pakistan!  Now that I think of it, most of their rifles, shotguns and ammo probably would be US made, but I didn't look through those.

China has been buying our bonds we've been selling to keep our economy propped up so we can continue to have the money to keep buying all that crap they can keep making that's bulging from the shelves.  What a crazy, unsustainable cycle!  I think it's all changing.  2009 is going to be an interesting year.

Forgive me...getting a bit off topic

[kathyp]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

nice idea, but then you have to get around regulations, labor costs, etc. that keep us prices high.  the cost of us labor is one of the things that prices us out of markets.  here, our min. wage just went up again today.  now 2nd highest in the us behind washington. 

other thing that happens is that you get retaliatory tariffs or blocking of our exports.  that keeps us from getting things we need and want., and from selling our products overseas.
remember when countries quit importing our beef?  how about if they skip washigtons apple crops next year, or oregons hay sales? 

when i was young, made in japan or made in korea meant cheap crap.  they adjusted their markets to fit our demands and now produce things of better quality than the us does, and for a better price. even if the price is not better, for example their cars, the quality is. 

 the answer if for the us to be competitive, not protectionist. 

[manfre]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

nice idea, but then you have to get around regulations, labor costs, etc. that keep us prices high.  the cost of us labor is one of the things that prices us out of markets.  here, our min. wage just went up again today.  now 2nd highest in the us behind washington. 

other thing that happens is that you get retaliatory tariffs or blocking of our exports.  that keeps us from getting things we need and want., and from selling our products overseas.
remember when countries quit importing our beef?  how about if they skip washigtons apple crops next year, or oregons hay sales? 

when i was young, made in japan or made in korea meant cheap crap.  they adjusted their markets to fit our demands and now produce things of better quality than the us does, and for a better price. even if the price is not better, for example their cars, the quality is. 

 the answer if for the us to be competitive, not protectionist. 

I agree that competition is important, but unregulated competition is not. We essentially have unregulated competition because of our inability to properly inspect the volume of imports. Instead of blocking imports, a better option would be to provide enough staff and equipment to Customs, but I don't think that will ever happen.

[kathyp]

a better option would be to provide enough staff and equipment to Customs

sure, and to inspect every toy, container, and bit of mail that comes through.  we could have spent TSA money to put more customs people in, but instead created another government black hole of inefficiency.

[rdy-b]

The need for foreign honey could be removed in under 5 years by simply blocking all honey imports. The price of honey in the US would rise and give the incentive for more beeks to take the step from hobbyist to commercial. Supply would go up and prices would drop. Probably not to the current levels, but at least it would be untainted, undiluted honey in the containers.

Well, we would like to hope so anyway.


...JP

If one would only knew the truth, you would think twice about buying honey from that next farm stand you run across while driving down that country lane........  

what would that be -its all good down my country lane -thanks for the warning RDY-B

[pdmattox]

The honey standard is what we need for all states. This is a rule for Florida and could be adopted in other states.

https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=2&tid=6512985&type=1&File=5K-4.027.htm

[rdy-b]

23% moisture  MY MY- RDY-B

[pdmattox]

23% moisture  MY MY- RDY-B

I had not seen that untill you pointed it out and I do believe that is a bit high.

[JP]

23% moisture  MY MY- RDY-B

Fermentation starts at 20% perhaps even slightly less.


...JP

[rdy-b]

23% moisture  MY MY- RDY-B

Fermentation starts at 20% perhaps even slightly less.


...JP

n or constituent unique to honey may be removed except where unavoidable in the removal of foreign matter. Chemical or biochemical treatments shall not be used to influence honey crystallization.
(a) Moisture Content – No water may be added to honey in the course of extraction or packing for sale or resale as honey. Honey shall not have a moisture content exceeding 23%.
(b) Sugars Content.
1. The ratio of fructose to glucose shall be greater than 0.9.
2. Fructose and Glucose (Sum of Both) shall not be less than 60g/100g.
(c) Sucrose Content.
1. Honey not listed below shall not be more than 5g/100g.
2. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Citrus spp., False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), French Honeysuckle (Hedysarum), Menzies Banksia (Banksia menziesii), Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida), Eucryphia milligani – not more than 10g/100g.
3. Lavender (Lavandula spp) and Borage (Borago officinalis) – not more than 15g/100g.
(4) Name of the Food.
(a) Products conforming to the standard of identity as adopted in this rule shall be designated ‘honey’. Foods containing honey and any flavoring, spice or other added ingredient or if honey is processed in such a way that a modificatio
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=2&tid=6512985&type=1&File=5K-4.027.htm

[tig]

we have the same problem of illegal chinese honey entering my country by the shipload and being packaged and sold as local honey by unscrupulous traders.  like the USA, we have a huge honey shortfall domestically which makes it very tempting to smuggle some from china which sells the honey at very low prices.  it isnt also honey which is being smuggled in.  pollen and royal jelly and wax foundations are just some of the other products.