BEE-KEEPING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10756, 30 April 1913, Page 2

BEE-KEEPING.

A pamphlet containing 1 Regulations under the Bale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908," hius just been issued by the Department of Health. This Act covers what are usually known as the

" Pure Food haws," aiul the various regulations, of which there are a very huge nuinocr, aro especially drastic, as they should bo for tho prevention of fraud in tho way of adulteration and short weight in volume. Although it has been proved by analysis that adulterated honey has been sold in New Zealand tho adulterant was a harmless one, and 1 do not think tho fraudulent practice was carried, on in moro than tho ono district. Whether tho adultorant is harmless or not, or whether tho practice is followed on a large or small scale matters not, it Ls fraud all tho same to represent a commodity to l>o other than it is. Ido not think it likely that anything in the way of a prosecution will take place over the adulterated honey recently discovered, but now that the " Regulations" are in force (they came into force on April 1) no doubt a prosecution would follow such discovery in future, and a person proved to bo guilty of fraud in this respect would bo liable to a penalty not exceeding £o(). With regard to tho clause relating to honey it says:—"Honey shall be tho noctar and eaocharine exudation of plants, gathered, modified and stored by tho honey-bee; it 6hall contain not more than twenty-six parts per centum of water : riot less than sixty parts per centum of reducing-sugars, and it shall not yield more than three-fourths of one part per centum of ash. It shall not contain any added sugar of glucose, artificial sweetening substance, added colouring-matter or other foreign substance."

R-egarding the water content allowed, 26 per cent appears to me to be exoessive. lam aware that such a percentage of moisture is allowed in Australia, and 25 per cent is the limit allowed by the Committee on Food Standards in America, and also by the German " Vereinbarungen." Nevertheless, I cannot see any sense in allowing such a percentage of moisture in honey that would be certain to bring about fermentation and consequent condemnation as an article of food. I am fully convinced that honey containing 22 or 23 per cent of moisture in New Zealand will ferment within a short time, And 2 presume that honey m any country with such water content would do the same. The average water content of Amencan white clover honey, as given in Bulletin No 110 in the "Chemical Analysis and Composition of American Honeys, is 17.64 per cent. Ono sample of clover honey sent from the Government apiary at Ruakura and analysed at tho United States Bureau of i gave the water content at 17.52 per cent. It is generally acknowledged in New Zealand that the honey should firmly granulate and have a dry appearance in the retail packages when first opened, wliich would indicate not more than 18.50 or 19 per cent at the most, so why 26 per cent should be allowed I cannot imagine. I would he more inclined to make the limit 21 per cent.

The minimum amount of reducing sugars allowed is GO per cent; that from Ruakura contained 78 per cent. The maximum amount of ash allowed is 0.75 er cent—that of the above honey conined 0.21 per cent—which all goes to show that a mighty poor honey, over-liable to become unfit for food in a very short time, oan be sold, and will comply with the legal standard of honey in New Zealand. Regarding the labels on retail packages. the Regulations state: "A statement of the net weight or volume, or of the true number of contents of any package, and any necessary statement regarding grade or quality. Unless otherwise specified the statements required by this paragraph shall appear together in the principal label within a panel having a light-coloured ground in bold-faced sans-serif capital types of not Jess than six points face measurement.

'' The name and address of the manufacturer of the article or the seller thereof, etc."

It will therefor© be seen that the net weight of honey, put up in rotn.il packages, tins or glass jars, must be printed on tho label. The pure food laws have worked wonders in America, the hoine of adulteration formerly, and will no doubt ylwent fraud in this country. There is nothing concerning beeswax in the pamphlet, as it is not a food, but it may come under another section of this Act. I will find out.

From his apiary near Lakeside, Mr R. N. Gidley has obtained during the past season about five tons of honey. One particularly large and vigorous colony gathered no less than 4171b of honey in the season. It is stated, that the season has been one of the best for apiaries the Ellesmere district has ever experienced, and that the quality of the honey has reached a very, high standard.