Subject: Re: Organic honey

From: dave macfawn <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 20:34:10 GMT

About a year ago I was interested in the definition of organic honey.  I was
interested in being able to charge more for "organic" honey.   I contacted the
National Honey Board, and they refered me to OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement
Association) for their definition.  As it turns out, some of the organic
grower's associations are defining organic honey requirements, like OCIA, but
their members are mostly vegetable farmers and not beekeepers.  Hence, their
organic honey requirements are somewhat problematic.  I obtained OCIA's
definition of organic honey (OCIA, 3185 Township Road 179, Bellefontaine, Ohio
 43311,  513-592-4983) which is what Tom Sanfard essentially published on the
net.  OCIA mentioned to me that the USDA was writing a definition of organic
honey and they gave me a contact (Dr. Hal Ricker).  I contacted the USDA and
found out that many of the same OCIA people who defined organic honey was
defining organic honey for the USDA.  I requested and obtained permission for
myself, Dr. Tom Sanford, Dr. Keith Deleplane; Dr John Ambrose, and Dr. Mike
Hood to review the current USDA's draft of organic honey requirements. 
Everyone did send comments back to the USDA with basicly the same comments and
then some that have come out in the newsgroup.  Below is some of my comments.

This is something that we need to track to make sure some organization doesn't
come up with some questionable organic honey requirements.

Thanks,
Dave MacFawn

June 7, 1995

Ms. Beth Hayden
Agricultural Marketing Service - TMD
Room 2510  South Building
PO Box 96456
Washington, DC  20090-6456

Dear Beth:

Dr hal Ricker gave me your name concerning organic honey definition.  I
understand taht Mr. Fred Kurshman - Chair of the Livestock committee is
defining the requirements for organic honey.  I am attaching some comments
that I have with OCIA’s definition of organic honey and would like to ask that
the attached bee/honey industry experts be included in the USDA organic honey
requirement review.

Sincerely,

David E. MacFawn
205 Ridgecreek Drive
Lexington, SC  29072
803-957-8897 (HM)
803-939-7409 (WK)

Dr. John Ambrose
State Apiculturist
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology
Box 7626
Raleigh North Carolina  27695

Dr. Keith Delaplane
Extension Entomologist
Cooperative Extension Service
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia  30602

Dr. Mike Hood
District Entomologist
Department of Plant Industry
Clemson University
112 Agricultural Servicenter
Box 340392
Clemson. SC  29634-0392

Dr. Tom Sanford
Department of Entomology
University of Florida
Building 970, Hull Road
PO Box 110620
Gainsville, Fla  32611-0312

Dr Jim Tew
Ohio State University

May 10, 1995

Organic Crop Improvement Association
3185 Township Road 179
Bellefontaine, Ohio  43311-9465

I am interested in organic honey production and received a copy of you
Specialty Crop Certification Standards for honey.  As an outgrowth of my
organic honey interest, I am interested in writing an article for either Bee
Culture or American Bee Journal.  However, upon examining the organic honey
requirements, I have some questions needing to be answered before I fully
understand your requirements.  My questions begin with ???? or NOTE below.  

I would be very interested in co-authoring this article with someone from the
OCIA if there is interest.  Below is a start on the article.

Please comment on my questions about organic honey.  I look forward to hearing
>from  you if you are interested in co-authoring this article with me.  I would
also be interested in working with your on pollen gathering requirements.  

Sincerely,

David E. MacFawn
205 Ridgecreek Drive
Lexington, SC  29072
803-957-8897  (HM)
803-939-7409  (WK)
Certified Master Beekeeper
North Carolina Beekeepers Association

 Organic Honey
David MacFawn

Beekeepers are continually looking for ways to increase their retail price for
honey.  Producing honey that meets organic standards, and labeling the honey
as organic,  is one way to increase the honey’s retail price. This article
discusses what the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) requirements
are for organic honey.  

The OCIA is an international association of organic farmers and processors. 
It is based in Bellefontaine, Ohio  (513-592-4983).  There are 71 chapters
located throughout the world.  The OCIA has an information packet that they
will send you.   The packet discusses the organization and also what a
beekeeper needs to do to have certified organic honey (in section 4.2 on page
15).

Section 4.2 is divided into 7 subsections.  4.2 discusses feeding for bees
with the following points covered:

4.2.1 Feeding of Bees
	a. Honey from a known certified origin is permitted.
		???? what do you mean by certified origin?,  typically honeys are mixed????
	b. Bee pollen from a known certified source is permitted.
		?????In the wild, pollen is mixed from several sources.  How do you know
where the pollen is from without extensive lab tests???????????
	c. Sugar or sugar syrup if starvation is imminent is permitted.
	d. Use honey as the major food source
		NOTE:. leave plenty on honey on the hive to overwinter on rather than feed
sugar 
		syrup in the winter or spring.  
	e. To feed sugar or sugar syrup during any honey flow is prohibited.
		NOTE: it is very rare for the bees to take sugar syrup when natural nectar
is available, as is the case during a honey flow.
	f. To extract honey from brood chamber where sugar syrup has been used is
prohibited
		NOTE: again it is rare for the bees to take sugar syrup when natural nectar
is available.  The bees will use up the sugar syrup to raise bees and food
very quickly.  During the spring it is very rare for sugar syrup to remain in
the hive for long.  I would be more worried about pesticide and other
contaminations building up in the comb, especially the brood chamber.  With
the use of Apistan, antibiotics, etc. it does build up in the comb.  I would
think that a requirement for the honey supers to not remain on hive, either
with or without honey in them, during treatments may be in order.  Of course,
the treatments should be only during the period outside of 6 weeks before the
honey flow and until after the honey supers are pulled.

4.2.2 Control/Prevention of Disease
	a. Keep strongest hives and destroy weak hives
		????disagree....should requeen the weak hives or else you loose a lot of
$$$$$
	b. Select good locations
		????what do you consider good locations?  Facing south or southeast, on side
of hill  with windbreak, not in “bottoms” where cold damp air collects?????
	c. Check hives regularly (i.e. once every 2-3 weeks).
		????during honey flow this may make since.  If any distance is required,
there is no way that anyone can make any money at this with checking hives
this often
	d. Keep obviously diseased hives in hospital yards.
		????depends on what the “disease” is...if it is AFB or EFB then a quarantine
may be in order for the bees only....All bee diseases have no known affects on
humans w.r.t. honey.
	e. Use of menthol to control tracheal mite parasite is permitted.
		????what about Apistan for Varroa mites????
	f. Use of antibiotics in honey production is prohibited except when the
health of the colony 
	   is threatened.  After such treatment the hive must be removed immediately
taken out of organic
	   production.  The pull immediately following the use of antibiotics may not
be OCIA certified.
	g. Sulfa products and other chemical products are prohibited.  
		????what about comb w.r.t antibiotics, what about Apistan for Varroa
mites????

4.2.3 Foraging Areas
	a. Apiaries must be located on OCIA certified land
		????what do you look for when you certify the land?????
	b. Beekeeper must provide clean water  and sufficient OCIA forage to feed the
bees throughout 
	    the season.  
		????? I could not find your definition of clean water.  To be quite frank,
after a rain, the bees may very well collect water out of puddles.  The bees
are going to collect water from the nearest source?????   Also what is your
definition of OCIA forage??????
	c. Apiaries may not be located within 2 miles of garbage dumps or sanitary
landfills
	d. It is prohibited to locate apiaries within 2 miles/3km of flowering
agricultural crops which
		 have been sprayed with non-OCIA accepted pesticides if the bees could be
using these 
		 crops for forage.
	e. Apiaries may not be located within 2 miles of golf courses.
	f. Apiaries may not be located within 2 miles/3km of major townsites or
cities.
	g. Apiaries may not be located within 2 miles of major traffic polluting
areas.
		?????this requirement needs to be tightened up...I am not sure what your
definition of major traffic polluting areas is?????

4.2.4 Beeswax
	a. Use pure beeswax in hives - - preferably your own.
	b. Wax of dubious origin is prohibited.
		???What about wax foundation from the bee supply houses???????

4.2.5 Honey Treatment
	a. Beeblower or smoker to remove bees from hives may be used if needed.
		????????what type of fuel in smoker...pine needles, rotten wood, oily
rags???????
	b. Heat of not more than 35C/95F and keep this process as short as possible.
		???? to recrystalize honey there is a trade off between how hot the heat is
and how long the honey needs to be heated.  The lower the temperature the
longer the honey will have to be heated.  ?????
	c. Mechanical uncapping for combs preferred to uncapping with heat.
	d. Allow debris in honey to settle out by gravity.  fine mesh filter is not
permitted.
		?????why is a fine mesh filter not permitted?...the filter will get out bee
parts and large beeswax particles.  Pollen and other nutrients will remain in
the honey.?????

	e. All surfaces honey contacts should be stainless steel or coated with
beeswax.
	f. Painted surfaces must be painted with a food and beverage approved paint
and coated with 
		beeswax.  Honey may not contact galvanized metal or metal with surfaces that
oxidize.
	g. Honey extraction facility should be bee tight to prevent robbing and the
spread of disease.
		????I would be more worried about disease spreading due to intermingling of
the supers, frames, using the same uncapping knife on all the honey,
etc.???????
	h. Extracting facility should be very clean and inspected annually be federal
food inspectors.
		???inspection by federal food inspectors is not required normally for the
hobbyist....what about the local hobbyist who has only a few hives and uses
his kitchen or maybe even his garage.  I would be willing to bet that most of
the organic honey producers currently fall into the hobbyist category.  
	I.  Extracting facility should be well lit with facilities to wash down daily
with copious amounts 
		of fresh, clean, hot water.
	J. Accumulated numbers of bees in extracting area should be allowed to gather
 and then washed
		down with water and disposed of or put in a nearby hive.
		????better idea is to allow the bees to collect at a window and allow a one
way bee escape for them to get out?????
	K. Honey barrels must be of a known origin, washed, and stored inside.  If
not new, they should 
		have previously been used in food service.  Preferable they should be coated
with
		beeswax.  Oxidized barrels are prohibited.
	L Chemical bee repellents are prohibited.
		???OK, this means that two trips to the bee yard is required.  One to put
the escape boards on the hives and another to retrieve the honey.  Another
alternative is to brush each frame, which is very time consuming but may be
cheaper if the distance to the hives is large.  ??????
	M  Floors and walls must be sealed from insects and rodents.  Presence of
insect pests such as 
		flies in extracting facility will not be permitted.
	N. Use of chemical agents such as calcium cyanide as a fumigant is
prohibited.

4.2.6  Honey, Frame, Wax, And Hive Storage
	a. Honey may be stored a maximum of 2 years before sale as organic
		????assume stored in an airtight container since honey will accumulate
moisture????
	b. Napthalene (moth balls) are prohibited for the control of wax moths in
stored honey and 
		honey product materials.

4.2.7 Queen Rearing
	a. cross breeding of bee families is encouraged.
	b. To prevent spreading of disease, rear your own queens
		????this will cause less spreading of disease than the package bees.  Often
you can purchase a superior queen from another beekeeper?????
	c. Making of artificial swarms is permitted.
	d. Purchase of package bees is permitted.
	e. Artificial insemination is permitted.
	f. Killing of colonies of bees in the fall is prohibited.

>==========Jim Mumm, 3/1/96==========
>
>[email-masked] (Frank Battistolo) wrote:
>
>>I recently saw some jars of organicaly grown honey! in a health 
>food
>>store.Can somebody explain to me what it is?
>
>If it was certified organic it does mean something, if it just said
>"organic" it means about as much as "natural".
>
>Organic laws, soon to take effect (perhaps) in the US and here in
>Canada will mandate a legal meaning for organic.
>
>There is some certified organic honey produced, just not near 
>enough
>for the market.
>
>
>--
>[email-masked]
>Jim Mumm
>Hazelridge Farm
>Box 268, Shellbrook, SK, Canada
>S0J 2E0
>
>

dave macfawn
AT&T Global Information Solutions
[email-masked]
(803) 939-7409