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FDA Seizes Adulterated Honey in Texas
Associated Press ^

Posted on 02/05/2003 3:58:09 PM PST by RCW2001

WASHINGTON, Feb 05, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Adulterated imported honey was seized Wednesday from a Texas company after the Food and Drug Administration confirmed the presence of an unapproved food additive.

U.S. marshals seized 266 drums of honey, each containing 639 pounds of bulk honey, and five totes, each containing a net weight of 3,000 pounds, from Hoyts Honey Farm in Baytown, Texas.

The additive, chloramphenicol, is prohibited by the FDA in food because of concerns about the potential for serious blood disorders in humans. Cloramphenicol is an antibiotic used to control disease in shrimp, crawfish and bees.

The seizure is the third one against similarly contaminated honey in six months, the FDA said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bloodhounds
Used to buy honey from these folks about three times a year.

Always bought the 'local' honey...at least it supposed to be "local".

A gallon jar used to cost around $10.00...

1 posted on 02/05/2003 3:58:09 PM PST by RCW2001
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To: RCW2001
Dang! I thought this was an article about Bill Clinton's latest floozy.
2 posted on 02/05/2003 4:01:21 PM PST by Arkie2
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To: RCW2001
chloramphenicol

Precautions to Consider

Species sensitivity Cats—Chloramphenicol should not be used in the cat for more than 14 days {R-7} because it can cause dose-related blood dyscrasias. The reported increased susceptibility of cats to development of blood dys-crasias relative to dogs or horses may be attributable to chloramphen-icol’s significantly longer elimination half-life in the cat. {R-12}

Blood dyscrasias; gastrointestinal reaction Incidence rare

Gray syndrome in neonates only; hypersensitivity reactions; neurotoxic reactions; optic neuritis; peripheral neuritis Note: Gray syndrome (or ‘‘gray baby syndrome’’) almost always occurs in newborn infants treated with inappropriately high doses of chloramphenicol. Typically, the infant has been started on chloramphenicol within the first 48 hours of life; symptoms first appear after 3 to 4 days of continued treat-ment with high doses of chloramphenicol; and serum con-centrations are high, often between 40 and 200 mcg/mL. If detected early and chloramphenicol is discontinued, the in-fant may have a complete recovery. On rare occasion, older patients, including adults with severe liver disease, have also had a gray syndrome type reaction.

Symptoms of possible fatal, irreversible bone marrow depression Pale skin; sore throat and fever; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness

Side/Adverse Effects

Note: Although aplastic anemia has occurred in human patients as a result of chloramphenicol administration, it has not been documented in animals. {R-12; 13} A dose-related reversible bone marrow sup-pression may occur, sometimes manifesting as pancytopenia or agranulocytosis.

The following side/adverse effects have been selected on the basis of their potential clinical significance (possible signs and, for humans, symp-toms in parentheses where appropriate) not necessarily inclusive: Those indicating need for medical attention All species

Anorexia; bone marrow suppression {R-13}; depression; diarrhea and vomiting {R-12}

Note: Intermediate metabolites are thought to be responsible for the reversible bone marrow suppression seen in domestic animals. The effect is dose-dependent, often occurring with long-term therapy.

Human side/adverse effects In addition to the above side/adverse effects reported in animals, the fol-lowing side/adverse effects have been reported in humans, and are included in the human monograph Chloramphenicol (Systemic) in USP DI Volume I; these side/adverse effects are intended for informational Because of the risk of idiosyncratic aplastic anemia that occurs in people after exposure to chloramphenicol, extreme care during administration to animals should be exercised. Animals do not appear prone to de-velop the idiosyncratic aplastic anemia that can occur in people weeks or months after cessation of drug therapy. {R-11} In humans

the re-ported incidence of idiosyncratic aplastic anemia following chloram-phenicol exposure ranges from 1/25,000 to 1/40,000. Aplastic anemia in humans may occur following oral, intramuscular, intravenous, oph-thalmic, and/or topical administration. Due to these risks, chloram-phenicol is banned in food-producing animals in the United States and people should avoid other types of exposure as well. When administering chloramphenicol to animals, people should avoid di-rect contact with the medication (for example, avoid opening the capsules).

Veterinary Dosing Information Most susceptible infectious disease organisms will respond to chloram-phenicol therapy in 3 to 5 days when the recommended dosage regi-men is followed. If no response to chloramphenicol therapy is obtained in 3 to 5 days, use should be discontinued and the diagnosis reviewed. Cats Chloramphenicol should not be used in the cat for more than 14 days {R-7} because it can cause dose-related blood dyscrasias.

Parenteral Dosage Forms

Note: Bracketed uses in the Dosage Forms section refer to categories of use and/or indications that either are not included in U.S. product labeling or are for products not commercially available in the U.S. The dosing and strengths of the dosage forms available are ex-pressed in terms of chloramphenicol base.

3 posted on 02/05/2003 4:18:35 PM PST by ATOMIC_PUNK (The Fellowship of Conservatives)
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To: RCW2001
Why would they do this? Am I missing something?
4 posted on 02/05/2003 4:38:45 PM PST by listenhillary (Axis of Weasels indeed!, Is weasel fur good for anything?)
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To: RCW2001
Sorry, Next time I'll finish reading the article.

Cloramphenicol is an antibiotic used to control disease in shrimp, crawfish and bees.

5 posted on 02/05/2003 4:40:35 PM PST by listenhillary (Axis of Weasels indeed!, Is weasel fur good for anything?)
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To: RCW2001
My brother-in-law is divorced from 4 "adulterated honeys," the last one was from Texas, Hmmm.
6 posted on 02/05/2003 5:36:44 PM PST by Old Professer (<i>One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.)
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To: RCW2001
This post reminds me of a story I read once. A city woman stopped at a rural produce stand. There, she found jars of honey for sale with homemade labels saying only "Smith Farms".

The woman attempted to ask the farmer running the stand about the method for production but he didn't understand the question. Finally she asked him, "was this honey produced in a safe and sanitary manner?'

The farmer scratched his head and finally answered, "Lady, bees is bees."
7 posted on 02/05/2003 6:17:14 PM PST by redheadtoo
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To: Askel5
fyi
8 posted on 02/05/2003 9:17:38 PM PST by JudyB1938
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To: JudyB1938; BigM; Wallaby; Budge; T'wit; adanaC; Acorn; Lady Cadaver; Great Dane; CholeraJoe
Stand back!

FDA's going the extra mile once again to scrutinize and keep us safe from the slightest potential for "serious blood disorders".

9 posted on 02/05/2003 9:29:45 PM PST by Askel5
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To: *Bloodhounds; backhoe; seamole; Lion's Cub
Our inveterate FDA on the ball (of beeswax) where the threat of "blood disorders" is concerned.
10 posted on 02/05/2003 9:34:29 PM PST by Askel5
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To: RCW2001
Abolish he FDA medical science would be about 20 years ahead without them.
11 posted on 02/06/2003 2:08:04 AM PST by weikel (Your commie has no regard for human life not even his own)
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To: Askel5
You forgot to turn off the sarcasm button, 5 :-)
12 posted on 02/06/2003 11:07:40 AM PST by T'wit
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To: RCW2001
Experts warn that driving increases your chances of contracting Death. The AMA has requested that Congress do something about this problem. In response, the federal government is banning automobile manufacturing and siezing those currently out of the factories.

"If there's the slightest chance of having a fatality, then automobiles must be banned and siezed," said Dr. Wee Care-Abotu. "If we've saved one life, then taking away automobiles is the right thing to do."

/sarcasm/

13 posted on 02/06/2003 11:23:03 AM PST by Luna
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To: T'wit
Big news coming . finally new dirt on the story . drop me a line and I'll send you some pdf's to review. best regards Mike
14 posted on 02/07/2003 6:07:51 PM PST by BigM
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To: BigM
> drop me a line

Will do, Mike (when I get home this evening). Have you alerted Mike G? - T

15 posted on 02/10/2003 11:12:27 AM PST by T'wit
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