Dr. Wolfgang Ritter CVUA Freiburg/Animal Health National and International Reference Laboratory Apimondia Standing Commission for Bee Pathology Residues in Honey

Pollution Bee management Honey processing and storage Control of Disease

Pollution Industry Traffic Household Agriculture (Pesticides)

Bee management Wax moth control: (Paradiclorinebenzol) Bee repellents (Phenol) Paintings (Heavy metals) (Control of Bee diseases)

Honey Processing and Storage Processing (reduction of water content) – ashes – yeast Container – heavy metals – remains Storage in warehouses – overheating – odours

Treatment of Diseases Treatment with Medicaments Nosemosis Chalkbrood American Foulbrood European Foulbrood Varroosis Acariosis Tropilaelaps infestation

Medicaments National laws EU regulations

Maximum Residue Limits (EU Regulation 2377/90EEC) MRL means: Maximum concentration of residue resulting from the use of veterinary medical product, which may be accepted by the EU Community to be legally permitted or recognized acceptable in or on food.

Maximum Residue Limits (EU Reg. 2377/90EEC) Annex I fixed residue limits – Amitraz (Apivar) 200µg/kg – Coumphos (Perizin/Checkmite) 100 µg/kg Annex III provisional residue limites – Cymiazole (Apitol) 1000µg/kg

Maximum Residue Limits (EU Regulation 2377/90EEC) Annex II no residue limits necessary – Fluvalinate (Apistan) – Flumethrin (Bayvarol) – Formic acid – Lactic Acid – Menthol – Thymol – Eucalyptol – Campher

Maximum Residue Limits (EU Regulation 2377/90EEC) Annex IV no safe maximal limits possible (prohibited for use) – Chloramphenicol – Nitrofurans

Maximum Residue Limits (EU Regulation 2377/90EEC) No residue limits for antibiotic in honey fixed Residues of antibiotic in honey not accepted

Residues in Honey Nosemosis Antibiotic Fumagillin (Fumidil) – no registered product in EU (Funagillin not registered!) – no residues allowed in EU – rarely found as residue

Residues in Honey American and European Foulbrood Sulfonamide Sulfonamide (Sulfathiazol) – no registered product – resistence found in some areas – no residues alowed in the EU – up to 3,2 ppm in imported honeys

Residues in Honey American and European Foulbrood Antibiotic Terramycin/ Streptomycin/Tylosine – no registered product in EU – no residues alowed in the EU ( 20ppb under discussion for Streptomycin) – often found as residue

Residues in Honey Residues in Honey Varroosis synthetic Acaricides Coumapos (Perizin, Neoron) – registered product in EU (Perizin, Checkmite?) – resistance found in Italy? (treatment with Neoron) – residues up to 100µg/kg (100 ppb) allowed – residues up to 20 ppb (Perizin) in legal treatments and up to 500 ppb (Neoron) in illegal treatments

Residues in Honey Residues in Honey Varroosis synthetic Acaricides Bromopropylate – no registered product in EU (FolbexVA since 8 years not registered)) – no residues allowed in the EU – rarely found as residue

Residues in Honey Residues in Honey Varroosis synthetic Acaricide Amitraz – registered product in France (Apivar) – many illegal products in use – residues up to 200µg/kg (200 ppb) allowed – resistance found in some areas – rarely found as residue from legal use – often residues from illegal use (metabolites)

Residues in Honey Residues in Honey Varroosis synthetic Acaricide Tau-fluvalinate – registered product in the EU (Apistan) – often illegal use (Klartan) – resistance in many areas – no EU residue limits – rarely found as residue from legal use – high residues from illegal use

Residues in Honey Residues in Honey Varroosis synthetic Acaricide Flumetrine – registered product in the EU (Bayvarol) – resistance in many areas (use of Klartan) – no EU residue limits – never found as residue from legal use

Residues in Honey Varroosis natural Substances (allowed in organic beekeeping) Formic acid – registered in EU – no residue limit in EU (Germany 600 ppm) – rarely found as residue Lactic acid – registered in EU – no residue limit in EU – rarely found as residue

Residues in Honey Varroosis natural Substances (allowed in organic beekeeping) Oxalic acid – registration on the way – no residue limit in EU – rarely found as residue Thymol – registered product (Apilifevar) – many illegal products – no residue limit in EU – sometimes found as residue (illegal overdose)

Where Residues? Honey Food water-soluble Wax Cosmetics fat-soluble Propolis Medicaments fat-soluble

Enrichment of lipophile substances into wax

Residues in Wax 400 samples from the German market (Wallner 2001) 60% with residues 20% Bromopropylate (Folbex) (<5ppm) 47% Coumaphos (Perizin, Asuntol) (some >10 ppm) 22 % Fluvalinate (Apistan, Klartan) (some up to < 5ppm, seldom up to 15ppm)

Residues in Propolis Results of 22 samples from German market (Wallner,2001) 5% Bromopropylate (Folbex) (4ppm) 9% Coumaphos (Perizin, Asuntol)(6ppm) 31 % Fluvalinate (Apistan, Klartan) (>8ppm)

Where we are? Europe – In tests half of honeys offended against regulations (different antibiotic) – Chinese honey banned from market (Chloramphenicol) Canada – Recall of products (Chloramphenicol, Nitrofuran) Australia – Recall of honey (Nitrofurans)

Food Control of Honey Exporting Country National Food Control Authority Beekeeper Trade Laboratories of Beekeepers Ass. Packer Private Laboratories

Field Service Laboratory Service Preventive Diagnosis of diseases Prevention of diseases Direct Food control Control of diseases Optimal Consumer protection