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Author Topic: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"  (Read 84178 times)

Offline Bee Happy

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #140 on: January 08, 2011, 04:33:19 pm »
...Maybe I'll just label my honey with a different "O" word in modest print.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #141 on: January 08, 2011, 04:34:46 pm »
Quote
just not for organic sales


Well I guess what I am driving at is there or is there not a clasification for Organic honey?  If there is then there must also be some kind of standard or method of producing it that alow it to be called Organic.

Quote
-certification is a costly endeavor
 for the small producer-there are standards that have to be meet and of course compliance-

You are speaking of honey now right?
Brian Cardinal
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #142 on: January 08, 2011, 04:41:36 pm »
...Maybe I'll just label my honey with a different "O" word in modest print.
:-D
No really mr agricultural agent, when the "s" and the "m" get blurred together it looks like an "N"!!!

They have "better than sex" chocolate and cake, why not honey!!

From what I've heard, the organic qualification requires to you to be x number of miles from any area where chemicals being sprayed.  Because that's where your bees will be collecting.  Considering that we all live near highways, golfcourses, and agricultural areas, not to mention yards, its a pipe dream anyway.  And really moot, because most of those chemicals don't get into the honey anyway, at least not enough to cause any problems.

Better to try to buy and eat from local grown sources and just forget the whole organic thing.
Rick

Offline deknow

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #143 on: January 08, 2011, 04:48:27 pm »
there are many standards that come into play under many circumstances....which is why i keep asking you "which rules" you are asking about.  there is no such thing as "the rules".

the most up to date information on the organic standards in the U.S. will probably be presented at the upcoming organic beekeeping conference in arizona....the next up to date information is probably the talk at last years conference.


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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #144 on: January 08, 2011, 04:55:18 pm »
The last I looked at the draft, admitting it as a few years ago, I thought it was a joke.   The 'O' word has become all about the $$$.

You could treat your bees with Terramycin and menthol, and protect comb with burning sulfur,  but you can't feed sugar to prevent starvation or use plastic frames or foundation.
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Offline T Beek

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #145 on: January 08, 2011, 05:04:29 pm »
"organic" became meaningless once our government got involved.  After many hard years of working for "standards" the entire field was taken over by the big boys.  I could show you all some scars...........but don't regret the experience.

thomas
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #146 on: January 08, 2011, 05:35:13 pm »
The last I looked at the draft, admitting it as a few years ago, I thought it was a joke.   The 'O' word has become all about the $$$.

You could treat your bees with Terramycin and menthol, and protect comb with burning sulfur,  but you can't feed sugar to prevent starvation or use plastic frames or foundation.
I. Organic Apiculture Standard:

ß 205.2 Definitions.

Apiculture. The management and production of honey bees and queens and their products including but not limited to honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and bee venom.

Forage zone. Land surrounding bee colonies which provides bees with water, nectar, honeydew, pollen, and propolis.

ß 205.240 Apiculture practice standard.

(a) Products from an apiculture operation that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be from hives which have been under continuous organic management for no less than 270 days prior to the removal of the products from the hive. If a prohibited material has been used in or on the hive prior to the 270 day transition, the producer must replace the hiveís foundation with foundation made from organic wax and remove those products to be sold as organic, prior to the start of the transition period.

(b) a producer of organic apiculture products must develop an organic apiculture plan in accordance with the provisions in ß 205.201. In addition, the organic apiculture plan must:

(1) Contain a map of the forage zone which shows the location of the hives, the location of organic and wild land, and the location of all non-organic areas;

(2) Describe the quantity of organic and/or wild forage to be provided per colony, including the type or types of forage, approximate bloom period, forage density, competing species density, honeybee colony density, colony health, colony strength, topography, and climatic conditions;

(3) Describe the water sources available in the forage zone;

(4) List all sanitary landfills, incinerators, sewage treatment facilities, power plants, golf courses, towns or cities, land to which prohibited materials are applied, and all other sources of potential contamination located in the forage zone; and

(5) For split operations, list and describe the management practices used to prevent commingling and contamination, including measures to prevent commingling resulting from bee drift and robbing.

(c) a producer of organic apiculture products must maintain records in accordance with ß 205.103 and ß 205.236(c).

(d) The producer must maintain hives on land that is managed in accordance with the provisions in ß 205.202 through 205.206 or ß 205.207.

(e) The producer must provide bees with forage that is managed in accordance with the provisions in ß 205.202 through 205.206 or ß 205.207.

(f) The producer of an organic apiculture operation may:

(1) Allow bees from their operation to forage on non-organically managed land when
adequate forage from organically managed land and/or land that is managed in
accordance with ß 205.207, as defined by the operationís organic apiculture plan, has
been provided; and

(2) Provide supplemental feed from organic honey, organic sugar syrup, and/or pollen
substitutes and supplements that are allowed under 205.603, Except, That, the producer
must not provide organic sugar syrup less than 30 days prior to the harvest of honey to be
sold, labeled, or represented as organic.

(g) The producer of an organic apiculture operation must not:

(1) Maintain colonies in an area where land to which prohibited materials, as listed in ß 205.105, are applied, or where another source of contamination is located less than 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the apiary, as described in the operation’s organic apiculture plan.

(h) Approved hive construction materials.

(1) Hives must be made of natural materials, including wood and metal.

(2) Outside hive surfaces may be painted with non-lead based paints.

(3) Plastic foundation may be used if dipped in organic beeswax and mounted in a wooden frame.

(i) The producer must establish and maintain preventive health care practices, including:

(1) Selection of bee stocks, hive densities, and colony locations appropriate to site-
specific conditions and resistant to prevalent diseases and pests;

(2) Introduction of replacement bees which are from organic sources or from non-organic
sources, Provided, That the replacement bees are managed organically for at least 60
days prior to the removal of organic apiculture products from the hive;

(3) Maintenance of adequate supplies of honey and pollen in the hive, including leaving
hives with reserves of honey and pollen sufficient for the colony to survive the dormancy
period;

(4) Use of foundation wax not contaminated with diseases or pests;

(5) Destruction of equipment and bees contaminated with disease or pests;

(6) Use of management methods or modified equipment to control pests and diseases;

(7) Use of therapeutic applications of non-synthetic materials to control pests, parasites, and diseases, Provided, That such materials are not prohibited under ß 205.604; and

(8) Use of therapeutic applications of synthetic materials, Provided, That such materials are allowed under ß 205.603.

(j) The producer must not:

(1) Accept the presence of pests, parasites, or disease without initiating efforts to restore
the health of the colony;

(2) Use synthetic materials not listed as allowed under ß 205.603;

(3) Use non-synthetic materials prohibited under ß 205.604;

(4) Use lumber treated with synthetic materials not listed as allowed under ß 205.603 or non-synthetic materials prohibited under ß 205.604 for hive construction materials;

(5) Use synthetic materials or non-synthetic materials prohibited under ß 205.604 in bee smokers;

(6) Annually destroy bee colonies following honey flows;

(7) Rotate hives between organic and non-organic management; or

(8) Sell apiculture products as organic if they contain a residue of a prohibited material greater than 5 percent of the Environmental Protection Agencyís tolerance for the specific material, pursuant to ß 205.671.

III. Amendments to the National List:

The NOSB Apiculture Task Force gathered information on materials currently used by apiculture operations and materials currently allowed by certifying agents. The Task Force proposes that the following materials be reviewed for possible inclusion on the National List, ß 205.603.

The Task Force is not endorsing any of the materials listed below, and is not recommending the approval of any particular material listed. We recommend that the materials listed be reviewed on a high priority basis, due to the fact that many of the materials are currently being used by organic apiculture operations. Without a clear list of allowed apiculture materials, it will be impossible for the apiculture standard to be implemented.

The Task Force recommends that new subsections be created in ß 205.603 and ß 205.604 to specifically list synthetic substances allowed for use by organic apiculture operations and non-synthetic substances prohibited for use.

The current materials review process requires that a petition be submitted for each material being requested for review. The Task Force recommends that the NOSB submit the materials listed below for review, and direct the NOP to prioritize their review. The Task Force points out that a similar “blanket” list process was used when crop and handling standards were first developed. The Task Force further points out that this situation will occur when standards are written for any new sector of the organic industry. Procedures to address the review of materials for new sectors should be developed by the NOSB Materials Committee.

In the table below, the name of the material appears in the first column. The S/N code in the second column stands for synthetic/natural. The third column contains information and notes on how and why the material is used. The information in this column may be helpful to construct annotations on use of the material.

Acetic acid   S   For apicultural use to disinfect empty combs which have been exposed to European foulbrood, Nosema, or the protozoan-caused Amoeba Disease.
Carbon dioxide   S   For apicultural use to control wax moth.
Essential oils   N   For apicultural use to control tracheal mites including: menthol, cinnamon, eucalyptus, spearmint, wintergreen, thyme, and camphor. These materials may be used after the last honey harvest of the season and must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers.
Folic acid   S   For apicultural use to control Varroa mites. This material may be used after the last honey harvest of the season and must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers.
Formic acid   S   For apicultural use to control Varroa mites.
Lactic acid   N S   For apicultural use to control Varroa mites. This material may be used after the last honey harvest of the season and must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers.
Oxytetracyline
(Terramycin)   S   For apicultural use. Only for treatment of American foulbrood (AFB) in apiaries in which the
disease has been diagnosed; beekeepers may not make routine, prophylactic applications of oxytetracyline in apiaries in which there has been no confirmation of the presence of AFB.
(Note: Included for discussion purposes because oxytetracycline calcium complex is on the National List for crop production. Although terramycin is commonly used to control bee diseases, no antibiotics are allowed for other types of organic livestock. If allowed, an extended withdrawal period or re-transition of the hive should be considered prior to collection of organic apiculture products.)

Vegetable shortening   N   For apicultural use to control tracheal mites. This material may be used after the last honey
harvest of the season and must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers.
(Note: Some certifiers have allowed vegetable shortening mixed with sugar to form a patty. It is included here for review, but may not need to appear on the list, since it is a natural material, and may be used by definition. Since it ends up being eaten by the bees, it is assumed that the shortening would have to be from organic sources. If the shortening is used as an excipient, the Task Force is unclear as to whether the shortening must be organic or if it must appear on the list.)

IV. Handling Standards for Organic Apiculture Products:

The Task Force had extensive discussion on the topic of apiculture handling standards without reaching a resolution. Recognizing the complexity this topic, and our desire to move the standards forward, we recommend that, for the present time, the standards deal only with production of apiculture products.

The Task Force recommends that the NOSB Processing Committee address the issue of organic “raw” honey vs. organic processed honey as the Committee develops standards and/or criteria for allowed processing technologies.

Attached as Addendum I are “Definitions of Honey and Honey Products” approved by the National Honey Board June 15, 1996. The Task Force refers the list of definitions to the Processing Committee.

The Task Force recommends that the draft language contained below be referred to the Processing Committee for further consideration. Most of the requirements below are already covered by the handling section of the rule, and were deemed by the Task Force to be redundant. The Task Force recommends that the Processing Committee use the language below to develop a recommendation for standards which are unique to the handling of organic apiculture products.

ß 205.273 Handling organic apiculture products.

(a) a handler of organic apiculture products must develop an organic handling plan in accordance with the provisions in ß 205.201.

(b) a handler of organic apiculture products must maintain records in accordance with ß 205.103.

(c) An operation which handles organic apiculture products must implement Good Manufacturing Practices and be in compliance with all handling requirements of ß 205.270 through ß 205.272.

(d) Primary handlers of organic apiculture products must not:

(1) Add water to honey to decrease the honeyís viscosity;

(2) Use fine mesh filters or diatomaceous earth to separate seed crystals from honey;

(3) Use high pressure honey filtration;

(4) Heat or handle organic apiculture products using kerosene heaters or any heating
system which introduces petroleum fumes into the room; or

(5) Control stray bees or other insects using synthetic insecticides, repellants, or
fumigants, unless such materials are allowed under ß 205.605.

V. Acknowledgements:

Members of the NOSB Apiculture Task Force were Kim Burton, NOSB, Dave Carter, NOSB, Lynn Coody, Organic Agsystems, Harriet Behar, Independent Organic Inspectors Association, Doug McGinnis, Tropical Blossom Honey, Mike Ingalls, Pure Foods, Inc., and Garnett Puett, organic beekeeper. Thank you.

Advisors to the Task Force were Dr. Joerg Schmidt-Bailey, U of IL, Dr. Eric Mussen, UC-Davis, Dr. Michael Burgett, Oregon State, Dr. Malcolm Sanford, U of FL, Dr. Tanya Pankiw, Texas a&M, Gene Brandi, National Honey Board, Arthur Harvey, beekeeper, Dan Weaver, beekeeper, W.C. Blaiklock, MOFGA, and John and Merrill Clark, Roseland Organic Farm. Thank you.

The Task Force was ably assisted by Mark Keating of the USDAís National Organic Program.

Respectfully Submitted,

James a. Riddle
Chair, NOSB Apiculture Task Force

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Addendum I: Definition of Honey and Honey Products

Approved by the National Honey Board June 15, 1996

PART a: HONEY

I. Definition

Honey is the substance made when the nectar and sweet deposits from plants are gathered, modified and stored in the honeycomb by honey bees.

The definition of honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance. This includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners.

II. Typical Composition

As a natural product, the composition of honey is highly variable.

Average   Range   StandardDeviation
Fructose/Glucose Ratio   1.23   0.76 – 1.86   0.126
Fructose, %   38.38   30.91 – 44.26   1.77
Glucose, %   30.31   22.89 – 40.75   3.04
Minerals (Ash), %   0.169   0.020 – 1.028   0.15
Moisture, %   17.2   13.4 – 22.9   1.46
Reducing Sugars, %   76.75   61.39 – 83.72   2.76
Sucrose, %   1.31   0.25 – 7.57   0.87
PH   3.91   3.42 – 6.10   —
Total Acidity, meq/kg.   29.12   8.68 – 59.49   10.33
True Protein, mg/100g.   168.6   57.7 – 567   70.9
References

F:G ratio, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose: White, J. W. Jr.
Detection of Honey Adulteration by Carbohydrate Analysis, Jour. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 63 (1) 11-18. 1980.

Reducing Sugars and pH: Calculated from data in White, J. W., Jr. et al.
Composition of American Honeys. Tech. Bull. 1261, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 1962.

Protein: White, J. W. Jr., and Rudyj, O. N.
The Protein Content of Honey. Jour. Apicul. Res., 17 (4) 234-238. 1978.
Moisture, Total Acidity, and Minerals: White, J. W., Jr. , et al.
Composition of American Honeys. Tech. Bull. 1261, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. 1962

III. Types of Honey

Comb honey: Honey presented in its original comb or portions thereof.

Extracted honey: Honey removed from the comb and presented in several forms, as defined in the United States Department of Agriculture Standards for Grades: (1) liquid, (2) crystallized or granulated, or (3) partially crystallized. This is commonly known, and referred throughout the document, as “honey.”

IV. Designation of Honey Sources – the source of honey determines many of the attributes of honey, e.g., aroma, flavor, color and composition.

Floral: Indicates the primary flowers from which bees gathered nectar to produce the honey.

Non-Floral: Indicates primary sources other than flowers such as extra-floral nectaries and honeydew.

Geographic Origin: The name of an area of production (state, region) may be included, provided the honey has been produced entirely within that area. Blends containing honey of foreign origin must be labeled to indicate their origin(s), in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

V. Forms of Honey

1. Blended Honey: a homogeneous mixture of two or more honeys differing in floral source, color, flavor, density or geographic origin.

2. Churned Honey: See whipped honey.

3. Cremed Honey: See whipped honey

4. Crystallized Honey: Honey in which part of the natural glucose content has spontaneously crystallized from solution as the monohydrate. Also called “Granulated Honey.”

5. Filtered Honey: Honey processed by filtration to remove extraneous solids and pollen grains.

6. Honey Fondant: See whipped honey.

7. Organic Honey: Honey produced, processed, and packaged in accordance with State and Federal regulations on honey and organic products, and certified by a State Department of Agriculture or an independent organic farming certification organization.

8. Raw Honey: Honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining without adding heat.

8a. Commercially Raw Honey: Honey as obtained by minimum processing. This product is often labeled as raw honey.

Notes: 1) Storage or exposure to either ambient (environmental) or applied (deliberately added) heat influences the character of honey. 2) Enzymatic activity, antimicrobial properties, microbial quality, color and chemical composition are all influenced by heat and storage. 3) There are an infinite number of time and temperature combinations that will affect the raw state of honey. 4) The definition of “minimum” processing can be set by purchasing standards.

9. Spun® Honey: See whipped honey.

10. Strained Honey: Honey which has been passed through a mesh material to remove particulate material (pieces of wax, propolis, other defects) without removing pollen.

11. Whipped Honey: Honey processed, by controlled crystallization, to a smooth spreadable consistency. Also called “Cremed Honey,” “Spun® Honey,” “Whipped Honey,” “Churned Honey,” “Candied Honey” or “Honey Fondant.”

VI. Grading

Current U.S. Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey and Comb Honey (CFR Title 7, Part 52, sections 1391-1405) are herein incorporated by reference. The grading of extracted honey includes factors such as color, clarity, absence of defects, moisture, flavor and aroma.

VII. Methods of Analysis

The official methods of analysis for honey of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International are herein incorporated by reference (AOAC 1995, 16th edition, section 44.4).

PART B: HONEY PRODUCTS

Honey products do not meet the compositional criteria for honey; but are products consisting in whole or in part of honey.

Imitation or artificial honey is a mixture of sweeteners, colored and flavored to resemble honey. This product does not meet the definition of honey or honey products. As such, it is inappropriate to include the word honey on the label of such a product.

This is a partial and constantly growing list intended to standardize the vocabulary used in the honey trade.

1. Deionized Honey: a honey product where honey has been processed to remove selected ions.

2. Deproteinized Honey: a honey product from which protein has been removed, from the honey, by appropriate processing.

3. Dried Honey: Honey which has been dehydrated and in which edible drying aids and processing adjuncts may be included to facilitate processing and improve product stability. Dried honey comes in various particle sizes.

4. Honey Extract: Any product formed by removing selected components from honey. The nature of the component (flavor, color, etc.) determines the type of extract. See natural honey flavor.

5. Honey Spread: a variety of edible, extremely viscous honey products made from honey or creamed honey. Honey spread is sometimes blended with other ingredients (such as: fruits, nuts, flavors, spices or margarine but excluding refined sweeteners).

6. Natural Honey Flavor: a substance obtained (often by extraction) only from honey that contains the flavor constituents of honey.

7. Ultrafiltered Honey: Honey from which all materials not passing a specified submicron membrane pore size have been removed. Materials removed include most proteins, enzymes and polypeptides. Evaporation required in the processing may also remove some volatile flavor and aroma constituents.

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Offline Acebird

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #147 on: January 08, 2011, 05:49:52 pm »
Quote
Better to try to buy and eat from local grown sources and just forget the whole organic thing

Buying locally grown products is a good choice where possible but buying organically grown products that are locally grown is by far better.  When the operation becomes large you absolutely need regulation and with that come $$$ for the certification.  What would you think if a pharmacy could substitute drugs that were not approved by the FDA?

Deknow, I am 20 min. into that video and loving it.  Everything they had said is true so why are you giving me such a hard time about standards?  I am going to watch the rest of it.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline Acebird

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #148 on: January 08, 2011, 06:08:39 pm »
Quote
I. Organic Apiculture Standard:

You da man rdy-b ;)
Brian Cardinal
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Offline deknow

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #149 on: January 08, 2011, 06:30:36 pm »
...you do know that this is a _proposed_ standard, is not actually any kind of regulation.  some certifiers use this as a basis, others use state standards, others use european, and others use no discernable standards.

of course the dynamic of the relationship is that you hire a certifier to certify you.  in such a relationship, there is a lot of motivation on the part of the certifier to find some way to certify the client....the client that you get certified this year is most likely to stay with the certifier year after year.  there is little motivation for a certifier to be overly critical.  if/when the standard actually passes, things may change.  for the time being, bees are now considered 'livestock' and all livestock rules apply (wrt organic standards).

deknow

Offline rdy-b

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #150 on: January 08, 2011, 06:36:32 pm »
...you do know that this is a _proposed_ standard, is not actually any kind of regulation.  some certifiers use this as a basis, others use state standards, others use european, and others use no discernable standards.

of course the dynamic of the relationship is that you hire a certifier to certify you.  in such a relationship, there is a lot of motivation on the part of the certifier to find some way to certify the client...the client that you get certified this year is most likely to stay with the certifier year after year.  there is little motivation for a certifier to be overly critical.  if/when the standard actually passes, things may change.  for the time being, bees are now considered 'livestock' and all livestock rules apply (wrt organic standards).

de-know

  these standards will get you registration--but the certifying agencies all have a much more rigid
  set of standards and the paper work is alot more extensive-there is a up dadte version of these standards
but it may not have been endorced into the FINAL RULE -RDY-B
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/organicfood/action/fall2010/nosb-apiculture-102710.pdf

Offline Bee Happy

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #151 on: January 08, 2011, 07:57:10 pm »
to ruin anything - add bureaucrats.
 
be happy and make others happy.

Offline Robo

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #152 on: January 08, 2011, 08:07:22 pm »
Here is the QAI one that I was referring to:

Quote
Organic Honey Standards
An example from Quality Assurance International

6.7. HONEY STANDARDS
6.7.1. Bee-Stock Sources

While pedigree of the bees is not crucial to organic honey production, their handling in a manner that prevents contamination of future organic honey crops with residual honey or bee feed from non-compliant sources is crucial.

6.7.1.1. Acceptable sources of bees include:

    * Colonies in existing organic hives;
    * Colonies confined to brood chambers only covered by a queen excluder;
    * Divided colonies from conventional hives on brood combs only;
    * Package bee colonies;
    * Nucleus colony ("nucs");
    * Captured wild or migratory swarms on brood comb only.

The use of colonies that have combs containing existing honey produced from nectar collected from non-complying foraging areas is prohibited.

6.7.2. Principal Feed Source Areas

Organic honey must be produced by naturally foraging colonies that are located at least 2 miles distant, in straight-line flight, from any pollution source which could cause the honey to become contaminated by, or as a result of, returning foraging bees (e.g. synthetic-chemical sprayed agriculture, industrial centers, urban centers, etc.).

A detailed map of all forage areas is required from all applicants.

6.7.3. Feed Supplements

Each bee-keeper is required to have a supplemental feeding plan, if starvation is imminent. This would include planning for sources of honey, sugar, syrup, fruit concentrate or other food source for non-flow periods.

If the hives are moved to non-compliant nectar and pollen sources, any organic honey must be removed before the hives are moved. In addition, the first honey extracted after the re-entry period back to the compliant apiary location must be treated as conventional honey.

The use of non-compliant feed supplements during honey flow is prohibited.

6.7.4. Health-Care Practices

Bottom boards may be scraped routinely to remove accumulations of wax and other debris that serve as food and shelter for wax moths.

Colonies infected with American Foulbrood must be destroyed.

Beekeepers are allowed to use the antibiotic oxytetracycline (terramycin) as a preventive measure against the spread of American Foulbrood into colonies. Antibiotic applications may be made only after the end of honey production, and must be terminated 30 days prior to the start of new organic honey production.

Menthol is allowed for control of Tracheal Mites (Acarapis Woodi).

Folic acid, formic acid, and lactic acid are allowed for the control of Varroa Mites with the following restrictions:

    * Folic acid may be used after the end of the season's honey production. Its use must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers. The need for folic acid must be documented and approval obtained from QAI prior to its use;
    * Formic acid has not been approved by the EPA for use against mites in the U.S. The need for formic acid must be documented and approval obtained from QAI prior to its use;
    * Lactic acid may be used after the end of the season's honey production. Its use must be discontinued 30 days before the addition of honey supers. The need for lactic acid must be documented and approval obtained from QAI prior to its use.

6.7.4.1. The following practices are prohibited:

    * Use of sugar syrup, or oil (shortening) based extender patties for administering antibiotics for American Foulbrood control;
    * Use of synthetically compounded materials for health care.

6.7.5. Hives & Apiary Yard Locations:

    * Apiary "yards" should be located near abundant, forageable pollen and nectar crops; yards should be located in areas of low ant activity;
    * Hives (if paintable) should be painted with non-toxic paint and in a suitable color for the climatic conditions;
    * Comb foundations are to be made of pure beeswax, and frames are to be made from wood. Plastic frames, foundations or combs are prohibited;
    * Additional supers (boxes of production combs above the brood chambers) are encouraged for successful colonies;
    * Each individual hive must have a numbered I.D. code that relates to the bottom board, brood chamber boxes, queen excluder (if used), honey supers, and cover(s);
    * Use of wet comb (extracted, but wet with honey) from conventional hives is prohibited.

6.7.6. Harvesting

6.7.6.1. Accepted methods for removing bees from the honey supers during harvesting include:

    * Bee escapes with a natural smoke agitant;
    * Bee brush and transfer boxes;
    * Forced-air bee blower.

The use of "fume boards" with non-compliant or unregistered repellents of any kind during harvesting is prohibited. Examples of these prohibited products include butyric anhydride (Bee Go and Honey Robber) or benzaldehyde.

6.7.7. Extraction Facility

The extraction facility must adhere to all regulations for organic processing facilities.

6.7.7.1. Acceptable moth controls in storage include:

    * Burning sulfur;
    * Refrigeration or freezing.

Any honey heated to over 110 degrees F must not be labeled "raw" honey because of heat denaturing of enzymes.

The labeling of organic honey grade or color shall comply with USDA honey industry standards. Organic honey labeled by floral source must be produced solely from that single floral source and not blended with any other honey.

6.7.8. Record-Keeping

Yard records of all inputs must be maintained, including dates and amounts of materials applied. A detailed production log with an apiary yard location system must be maintained in an auditable format.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #153 on: January 08, 2011, 08:08:42 pm »
I think it is all good.  Certainly a step in the right direction.  I think it is sad that the US is no longer a leader but more of a follower in the world arena.

None of these measures will affect the small beek any more than they affect the small farmer.  As the background voice in the video admitted, it is not about the quality of the honey it is about convincing your customers that what you are doing is right and good for the future.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline rdy-b

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #154 on: January 08, 2011, 08:31:45 pm »
 yea there is a issue with the terymiycine-when comparing the standards
the standard that allows termiycine-also says burn foul-brood-the basic standard says no antibiotics-
 I would imagine the USDA standard would apply even though theQAI is accredited by USDA-one would sure find out for sure when renewal came up and they state terymiycine-on the synthitic substance page of the renwall-it would probably be revoked -i would think-RDY-B

Offline T Beek

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #155 on: January 09, 2011, 10:39:28 am »
I think it is all good.  Certainly a step in the right direction.  I think it is sad that the US is no longer a leader but more of a follower in the world arena.

None of these measures will affect the small beek any more than they affect the small farmer.  As the background voice in the video admitted, it is not about the quality of the honey it is about convincing your customers that what you are doing is right and good for the future.
I don't know, I think that sometimes all the regulations just give the Big Boys room to skirt the rules and squeeze the little guys out of business.  That said, its not as easy for the Big Boys to convince consummers as it is for the rest of us, as we "actually" tend to live in the communities we sell to :) Consummers know that Big Biz'z primary interests are profits, not neccessarily customer satisfaction.  Yet another reason to stay small and sustainable.  Works for me.

And it is too "all about quality" (maybe not for the greedy) particularly for the little guys. 

thomas

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« Last Edit: January 09, 2011, 12:29:13 pm by T Beek »
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Offline deknow

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #156 on: January 09, 2011, 11:33:58 am »
As the background voice in the video admitted, it is not about the quality of the honey it is about convincing your customers that what you are doing is right and good for the future.
...when someone buys a jar of honey, they are buying FOOD, not intentions.  our customers certainly appreciate what we are doing, but they won't spend good money on something they don't want to feed their children.

if you go out and pay premium prices for an organic chicken (for instance), do you only care about what the farmer is trying to do, or do you care about the quality and purity of the food you are buying?

none of this is a "step in the right direction", as once there are standards established, they will be modified to allow the "factory" operations to play, just as happened with organic produce.

deknow

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Offline T Beek

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #157 on: January 09, 2011, 12:23:57 pm »
That's hittin the nail on the head deknow :)

thomas
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Offline Acebird

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #158 on: January 09, 2011, 01:09:45 pm »
Quote
none of this is a "step in the right direction", as once there are standards established, they will be modified to allow the "factory" operations to play, just as happened with organic produce.

Wow, what twisted logic.  You feel it is a bad thing that the big (agriculture, not farmer) is now bending to the consumers wishes?  That “they” by the mere fact that “they” are now in it validates that Organics are better for you and the sustainability of future farming?  What is it that you want?  To live on a deserted island and hope that what “they” were doing will not affect you?  Or is it that you don’t feel confident that you can convince your customers that what you produce is still better than what they produce?  Please don’t tell me that you want a system of no competition.
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Offline T Beek

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Re: For those who think treating with sugar is "Non-Chemical"
« Reply #159 on: January 09, 2011, 01:15:27 pm »
I'm not convinced Big Ag does much bending at all.

thomas
"Trust those who seek the truth, doubt those who say they've found it."