Unnatural honey gives beekeepers a headache
Source: Agencies |
October 5, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BEES at a cluster of apiaries in northeastern France have been producing honey in mysterious shades of blue and green, alarming their keepers who now believe residue from containers of M&M's candy processed at a nearby biogas plant is the cause.
Since August, beekeepers around the town of Ribeauville in the region of Alsace have seen bees returning to their hives carrying unidentified colorful substances that have turned their honey unnatural shades.
Mystified, the beekeepers embarked on an investigation and discovered a biogas plant 4 kilometers away has been processing waste from a Mars plant producing M&M's, bite-sized chocolate candies covered in bright red, blue, green, yellow and brown shells.
The unsellable honey is a headache for about a dozen beekeepers already dealing with high bee mortality rates and dwindling honey supplies following a harsh winter, said Alain Frieh, president of the apiculturists' union.
Agrivalor operates the biogas plant and said it had tried to address the problem after being notified of it by the beekeepers.
"We discovered the problem at the same time they did," said Philippe Meinrad, co-manager of Agrivalor. He said Agrivalor had cleaned its containers and waste would now be stored in a covered hall.
Since August, beekeepers around the town of Ribeauville in the region of Alsace have seen bees returning to their hives carrying unidentified colorful substances that have turned their honey unnatural shades.
Mystified, the beekeepers embarked on an investigation and discovered a biogas plant 4 kilometers away has been processing waste from a Mars plant producing M&M's, bite-sized chocolate candies covered in bright red, blue, green, yellow and brown shells.
The unsellable honey is a headache for about a dozen beekeepers already dealing with high bee mortality rates and dwindling honey supplies following a harsh winter, said Alain Frieh, president of the apiculturists' union.
Agrivalor operates the biogas plant and said it had tried to address the problem after being notified of it by the beekeepers.
"We discovered the problem at the same time they did," said Philippe Meinrad, co-manager of Agrivalor. He said Agrivalor had cleaned its containers and waste would now be stored in a covered hall.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
