next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --f46d043bddc6238a9c04e4071602 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hello Steve, Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) is responsible for setting standards, such as maximum allowable levels of contaminants in foods, while the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (www.inspections,gc.ca) is responsible for enforcing these standards. Exploring the websites of these two organizations should enable you to find more information on how pesticides are regulated and monitored in Canada. Likely of more specific interest to you are the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL's) established for the various pesticides. Start your search here: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/part/protect-proteger/food-nourriture/mrl-lmr-eng.php A description of the CFIA residue surveillance program is found here: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/chemical-residues-microbiology/chemical-residues/residue-surveillance/eng/1332108703029/1332108819462 Hope the above is of some help. Ron On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Stephen R. Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> wrote: > Thanks, Lance, for the as-usual helpful link. > > Reading the paper Lance provided puts the kybosh on any attempt to assert > a 1-to-1 relationship such as "pesticides were actually directly > responsible for 'causing colony collapse disorder'", more or less the > original claim. Several factors have been identified that interact in ways > that are not well understood yet. Ominously, these may not act in a simple > additive manner and such non-linear interaction is not tested in approving > the pesticides, as the paper indicates. > > At the same time, the authors identified multiple insecticides, fungicides > and acaricides (used by the beekeepers themselves to control mites) in the > pollen collected by bees. You'd have to be sceptic of tobacco executive > magnitude not to be alarmed that the bees collected pollen containing at > least 35 different pesticides in the study, some at very high levels. The > implication that some of these are important in the interactions underlying > CCD is not well understood yet, but is highly suggestive. > > Now I'm wondering what's in the honey that I've been eating. Does anybody > monitor pesticide levels in honey, or honey from different locations? The > pesticide-loaded pollen came from plants that the bees also visited for > nectar, so that is presumably loaded with the same pesticides, which in > turn should end up in the honey. Are there any beekeepers or others on > this list who might know about the levels of such chemicals in honey? Is > some local NS honey better, by virtue of a lower pesticide load? > > Steve (Halifax) > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Quoting "Laviolette, Lance (EXP)" <lance.laviolette@lmco.com>: > > Hi David and others, >> >> The recent research that Mary was referring to was conducted by >> University of Maryland researchers. It was just published in PLOS ONE and >> can be read in full at the following link: >> >> http://www.plosone.org/**article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%** >> 2Fjournal.pone.0070182<http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0070182> >> >> A quote attributed to the study's senior author is telling: >> "We don't think of fungicides as having a negative effect on bees, >> because they're not designed to kill insects," vanEngelsdorp stated. >> Current federal regulations limit the use of insecticides during the time >> periods when pollinating insects are foraging, "but there are no such >> restrictions on fungicides, so you'll often see fungicide applications >> going on while bees are foraging on the crop. This finding suggests that we >> have to reconsider that policy." >> >> >> All the best, >> >> Lance >> > > > -- Ronald G. Arsenault Moncton, N.B. --f46d043bddc6238a9c04e4071602 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Hello Steve,<div><br></div><div>Health Canada (<a href=3D"= http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca">www.hc-sc.gc.ca</a>) is responsible for setting sta= ndards, such as maximum allowable levels of contaminants in foods, while th= e Canadian Food Inspection Agency (www.inspections,<a href=3D"http://gc.ca"= >gc.ca</a>) is responsible for enforcing these standards. Exploring the web= sites of these two organizations should enable you to find more information= on how pesticides are regulated and monitored in Canada.</div> <div><br></div><div>Likely of more specific interest to you are the Maximum= Residue Limits (MRL's) established for the various pesticides. =A0Star= t your search here:=A0<a href=3D"http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/part/p= rotect-proteger/food-nourriture/mrl-lmr-eng.php">http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps= -spc/pest/part/protect-proteger/food-nourriture/mrl-lmr-eng.php</a>=A0 A de= scription of the CFIA residue surveillance program is found here:=A0<a href= =3D"http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/chemical-residues-microbiology/chemica= l-residues/residue-surveillance/eng/1332108703029/1332108819462">http://www= .inspection.gc.ca/food/chemical-residues-microbiology/chemical-residues/res= idue-surveillance/eng/1332108703029/1332108819462</a></div> <div><br></div><div>Hope the above is of some help.</div><div><br></div><di= v>Ron</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><= br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Stephen = R. Shaw <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:srshaw@dal.ca" target=3D"_b= lank">srshaw@dal.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Thanks, Lance, for the as-usual helpful link= .<br> <br> Reading the paper Lance provided puts the kybosh on any attempt to assert a= 1-to-1 relationship such as "pesticides were actually directly respon= sible for 'causing colony collapse disorder'", more or less th= e original claim. =A0Several factors have been identified that interact in = ways that are not well understood yet. Ominously, these may not act in a si= mple additive manner and such non-linear interaction is not tested in appro= ving the pesticides, as the paper indicates.<br> <br> At the same time, the authors identified multiple insecticides, fungicides = and acaricides (used by the beekeepers themselves to control mites) in the = pollen collected by bees. =A0Yo