ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN BEEKEEPERS’ ORGANISATION (ACBO) REJECTS CARICOM’S HONEY GUIDELINES TO FACILITATE INTER-REGIONAL TRADE IN THE CARIBBEAN
In June/July 2022, CARICOM Ministers of Trade adopted guidelines for regional trade of Honey to address the ban on its importation in some Caribbean countries. This ban, which contravenes the Treaty of Chaguaramas, was justified by concerns of the spread of diseases and other phytosanitary issues with respect to the trade of honey and hive equipment. This new CARICOM-level guidelines were developed without consultation with regional beekeepers from the Association of Caribbean Beekeeping Organizations (ACBO), members of which only became aware of its existence in April 2023, ten months after its adoption. During that period of almost 300 days, no attempts were made to inform the key stakeholders – Caribbean beekeepers – that guidelines that will affect their work and livelihoods had been enacted.
The guidelines, developed by the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), are very broad, covering issues with respect to hive and pest management, and Honey. However, it departs from the international standard for Honey set by Codex Alimentarius, International Food Standard, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Honey Commission. The guidelines are extremely contradictory for example, the date of adoption is unclear and appears as July 2022 on page 5 and June 2022 on page 8. Another contradiction is that it acknowledges and agrees with Codex Alimentarius that “Honey shall not be heated to such an extent that its essential composition and quality is impaired” but makes recommendations that Veterinary Authorities should present an international veterinary certificate attesting that the honey “has been heated to 50°C core temperature and holding at that temperature for 20 minutes”. Heating (honey) up to 37°C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial (NIFA 2023) hence, heating honey to a temperature of 50°C, which is equivalent to pasteurizing it, will impair its essential composition and quality.
The guidelines also use a broad-brush approach to honey and does not differentiate from unadulterated, ripened honey and adulterated or un-ripened nectar; recommends moisture values that are not industry acceptable and suggests that varroa can be transmitted in honey, which is false. Regional beekeepers question the validity of the research, as well as the proficiency of the people who collated this collection of contradictions, which are now-approved guidelines.
What is honey?
Based on the international Codex Alimentarius standard, “Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the honeycomb to ripen and mature.” For the purposes of this article, we wish to differentiate between ripened honey which we will refer to as unadulterated honey and any other honey like substance, which has been created and processed differently, as adulterated honey.
Unadulterated Honey is ripe and mature when the bees completely seal the honeycomb with beeswax. Many beekeepers, particularly commercial beekeepers whose main objective is provision of pollination services, do not wait for the bees to ripen and mature nectar in the honeycomb. Nectar that is not ripened and mature, often does not meet the standard for moisture, which is 20% or less to qualify as unadulterated honey. If the nectar is not allowed to ripen and become honey, the natural enzymes which the bees use to process the nectar, will not complete the conversion of nectar to honey which will result in spoilage. To prevent this, commercial beekeepers pasteurize and or irradiate the un-ripened honey.
In the Caribbean, most of the beekeepers are artisanal apiarists, practicing the long-aged tradition of waiting for the nectar to be ripened and matured in the honeycomb, before extraction. There are incidences however, of people who are interested in producing large quantities of cheap honey; they do not wait for it to mature and “boil” or pasteurize the honey, which is sold to the customer. It must be made clear that the early harvesting of honey and its pasteurization is adulteration.
Ripe, unadulterated honey does not require any heating and treatment and once properly stored, can retain its composition, without spoiling for centuries. It is packed with antioxidants, antibacterial properties, and other beneficial compounds that make it a popular choice for a variety of purposes, including wound healing and as a natural remedy for coughs and sore throats.
The membership of ACBO is vehemently opposed to these guidelines being implemented by CARICOM and, in light of global challenges with adulteration and honey fraud, believes that it will create the environment for cheap, adulterated honey to be trans-shipped through the region and branded as Caribbean Honey, thereby legitimizing the illegal honey trade in the Caribbean. This will definitely have a negative impact on the honest beekeepers, who currently dominate the local markets. Further, the customers will be robbed and defrauded as they will believe that they are consuming a healthy, unadulterated product, which would not be the case.
Other reasons why honey should not be pasteurized or irradiated include:
1. Destruction of beneficial enzymes and antioxidants:
Unadulterated honey is a natural product that contains a wide range of enzymes and antioxidants that are beneficial for human health. However, the pasteurization and irradiation processes can destroy many of these beneficial compounds, reducing the overall nutritional value of the honey. It must be emphasized that unadulterated honey is not sugar; most people purchase and consume honey for its medicinal characteristics, not for its sweetness. As such, the destruction of beneficial enzymes and antioxidants via irradiation and pasteurization reduces the properties and true purpose of honey.
2. Alteration of taste and texture:
The pasteurization and irradiation processes can also alter the taste and texture of unadulterated honey. Unadulterated honey has a distinct flavor and texture that is altered by these processes, resulting in a product that may not be as enjoyable for some consumers.
3. Potential health risks:
There is a potential risk of health hazards associated with pasteurization and irradiation of honey. There is limited research on the link between irradiated food, including honey, and cancer in the Caribbean. However, some studies have suggested that exposure to gamma radiation and heat treatments can produce potentially harmful byproducts, such as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is known to cause DNA damage and increase the risk of cancer in humans. For example, a study conducted in Brazil found that consumption of irradiated meat was associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer (Ribas et al., 2009). Another study in India found that exposure to irradiated food increased the incidence of breast and testicular cancer in mice (Chauhan et al., 2003).
4. Destruction of beneficial bacteria:
Unadulterated honey naturally contains beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms that are important for gut health. However, pasteurization and irradiation can destroy these beneficial organisms, leading to an imbalance in the gut microbiome and potentially harmful health effects. Pasteurization and/or irradiation therefore significantly reduces the healing and medical properties of honey, which are best when in its unadulterated unheated state.
5. Labeling confusion:
Pasteurized or irradiated honey can be difficult to distinguish from unadulterated honey, which can cause confusion for consumers who are looking for the benefits of unadulterated honey. This is fraud, which is overlooked in the guidelines since fake and true honey are categorized the same. This can lead to a lack of transparency in the marketplace and makes it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions about their food choices.
6. Protection of local industry:
The Caribbean region has a rich tradition of beekeeping, and many small-scale beekeepers rely on the sale of unadulterated honey to make a living. The cost of real (unadulterated) honey is based on its medicinal benefits and the efforts of the beekeeper to maximize these. The pasteurization and irradiation of honey can lead to the production of a standardized product, which can make it difficult for small-scale beekeepers to compete with larger commercial producers or adulterated fake honey.
7. Prevention of fake honey:
Unadulterated honey can be easily adulterated with syrups or other sweeteners, making it difficult for consumers to determine if they are getting a genuine product. However, pasteurization and irradiation can destroy the markers that can identify these adulterants, making it easier for fake honey to enter the supply chain.
8. Economic benefits:
The demand for unadulterated honey in the Caribbean region can provide significant economic benefits for local communities. However, the pasteurization and irradiation of honey can reduce the value of the product and limit the potential economic benefits. These guidelines only support economic benefit to those who can provide large volumes of “Honey” at a lower cost, which works against the artisanal beekeepers, who are trying to provide a high-quality, pure product. The Caribbean is estimated to have thousands of beekeepers, most of whom will increase in their vulnerability, if these guidelines are enforced.
9. Sustainable Development Initiatives:
Over the past 20 years, international agencies such as IICA, FAO and Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) have invested millions of US dollars in the development of apiculture to support rural farmers. These guidelines negate the importance of beekeeping and artisanal beekeepers in pollinator conservation and their services and destruction of artisanal beekeeping sector will result in a decline in the awareness and practice of pollinator conservation, which will affect food production and security. These guidelines also undermine years of work and investment in the development of the apiculture sector, especially in terms of sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, youth development and women empowerment. Most importantly, these guidelines set back all the work completed in the last 20 years in apiculture which have contributed to the achievement of UN sustainable development goals 1 (no poverty); 5 (gender equality); 8 (decent work and economic growth); 13 (climate action); 15 (life on land) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).
10. Chemical contamination
The method of production of adulterated honey or its adulteration can introduce toxic contaminants, for example heavy metals or organic pollutants from contaminated or rusted containers. The guidelines recommend basic parameters for testing, which will not be able to differentiate between real and fake honey. Most importantly, they will not be able to identify any possible contaminant which could potentially have human health impacts on the consumer.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, ACBO and its membership reject these guidelines which CARICOM is seeking to implement. Evidence shows that pasteurization and irradiation of raw honey can have negative impacts on its nutritional value, taste, texture, and potential health benefits. Additionally, these processes can lead to the destruction of beneficial bacteria and enzymes, cause labeling confusion, and even produce harmful byproducts. Caribbean consumers would not know that they are being defrauded, so pasteurized and irradiated honey must be labelled as such and not as pure, unadulterated honey. These guidelines will negatively impact artisanal beekeepers who will not be able to compete against fake honey prices and will not be able to participate in the market, making them more vulnerable in terms of their livelihoods and resilience. These guidelines also reverse progress made in pollinator conservation, sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, youth development and women empowerment.
ACBO calls upon CARICOM to repeal these guidelines and to engage in dialogue with our association and other stakeholders to develop realistic, relevant, science-based guidelines that do not contradict, and which will safeguard and support beekeeping and sustainable livelihoods in the Caribbean.
References:
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11. Codex Alimentarius. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/en/
12. CARICOM honey guidelines. https://cahfsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/HONEY-Guidelines-to-Facilitate-Intra-Regional-Trade.pdf
13. March 26, 2023 Guardian – “All UK honey tested in EU fraud investigation fails authenticity test” https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/26/uk-honey-fails-authenticity-test?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR21g0WgLa2KdsunUS1qiO_UjnWTz_ORepMgIvKJ1BsKhwDN BTNEF6LxwGs
14. International Honey Commission. 2020. https://www.ihc-platform.net/
15. National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (2023). To what temperature does honey have to be heated to destroy the health benefits for humans? U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA. https://bee-health.extension.org/at-what-temperature-does-honey-have-to-be-heated-too-too-destroy-the-health- benefits-for-humans/
