A pan-European epidemiological study reveals honey bee colony survival depends on beekeeper education and disease control

Reports of honey bee population decline has spurred many national efforts to understand the extent of the problem and to identify causative or associated factors. However, our collective understanding of the factors has been hampered by a lack of joined up trans-national effort. Moreover, the impacts of beekeeper knowledge and beekeeping management practices have often been overlooked, despite honey bees being a managed pollinator. Here, we established a standardised active monitoring network for 5 798 apiaries over two consecutive years to quantify honey bee colony mortality across 17 European countries. Our data demonstrate that overwinter losses ranged between 2% and 32%, and that high summer losses were likely to follow high winter losses. Multivariate Poisson regression models revealed that hobbyist beekeepers with small apiaries and little experience in beekeeping had double the winter mortality rate when compared to professional beekeepers. Furthermore, honey bees kept by professional beekeepers never showed signs of disease, unlike apiaries from hobbyist beekeepers that had symptoms of bacterial infection and heavy Varroa infestation. Our data highlight beekeeper background and apicultural practices as major drivers of honey bee colony losses. The benefits of conducting trans-national monitoring schemes and improving beekeeper training are discussed

Confirmation of the effectiveness of the right application of H.A.C.C.P. system in Catering Companies

The rapid growth of food industry in combination with the continuously increased demands of consumers for healthly and highly qualitative foods, led to the need of the development and application of a systematic approach to the identification, evaluation and control of food safety and hygiene hazards. The new system also known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or H.A.C.C.P.is an effective and dynamic means of assuring food safety from harvest to consumption. Preventive problems from occurring, is the paramount goal underlying any H.A.C.C.P. system. Its application is judged as particulary essential in the field of the mass food production of food (restaurants, Caterers, café, etc) while it is also strongly linked to the improvement of the microorganism markers of foods, which are produced and distributed to the consumers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the right application of H.A.C.C.P. system in three (3) selected Catering companies in Crete. Furthermore the study answers to the question if there is any difference in the microorganism markers of foods which were used and prepared by these companies before and afterwards the installation of the H.A.C.C.P. system in the companies. Specifically, were received foods samples of each company before and afterwards the installation of the H.A.C.C.P. system. Each sampling followed by a microbiological analysis for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms, Ε.coli, Staphylococcos spp., S.aureus, Listeria monosytogenes and Salmonella spp.. The results of the study showed an important improvement in the microorganism markers of all samples (raw materials, intermediary products, final products) afterwards the application of H.A.C.C.P. system. At the same time, one of the main findings of the study was that almost all the samples afterwards the application of the H.A.C.C.P. system, were found inside the microbiological limits, determined by the law, in order to be condidered a food safe for the public health. Finally it is also important that the majority of these microorganism markers of the foods samples were found to be also below from the limits that establishes the law (almost in a zero level).Η ταχεία ανάπτυξη των βιομηχανιών τροφίμων σε συνδυασμό με τις συνεχώς αυξημένες απαιτήσεις των καταναλωτών, για ασφαλή, υγιεινά και υψηλώς ποιοτικά τρόφιμα, οδήγησε στην ανάγκη ανάπτυξης και εφαρμογής ενός συστήματος ελέγχου και ασφάλειας των τροφίμων στις βιομηχανίες παραγωγής, το λεγόμενο και ως H.A.C.C.P.. To H.A.C.C.P. συνιστά ένα δυναμικό ολοκληρωμένο σύστημα προληπτικής φύσης που στηρίζεται στην ανάλυση κινδύνου όλων των κρίσιμων σημείων επεξεργασίας και μεταχειρίσεως των προϊόντων. Η εφαρμογή του κρίνεται ιδιαιτέρως απαραίτητη στους χώρους μαζικής εστίασης (εστιατόρια, εταιρίες Catering, κυλικεία κ.α), ενώ συνδέεται και με την βελτίωση της μικροβιολογικής εικόνας των τροφίμων που παράγονται και διανέμονται στους καταναλωτές. Σκοπός της παρούσης εργασίας ήταν να διερευνήσει την αποτελεσματικότητα από την ορθή εφαρμογή συστημάτων H.A.C.C.P. σε τρεις (3) επιλεγμένες εταιρίες τροφοδοσίας τροφίμων (Catering) στην Κρήτη και ειδικότερα να απαντήσει στο ερώτημα αν υφίσταται διαφορά στην μικροβιολογική εικόνα των τροφίμων που χρησιμοποιούσαν και παρασκεύαζαν οι συγκεκριμένες εταιρίες (Catering) πριν και μετά την εγκατάσταση του συστήματος H.A.C.C.P. σε αυτές. Στα παραπάνω πλαίσια πραγματοποιήθηκαν δειγματοληψίες στα τρόφιμα της κάθε εταιρίας πριν και μετά την εφαρμογή του H.A.C.C.P. Μετά την κάθε δειγματοληψία από την κάθε εταιρία, ακολουθούσε μικροβιολογικός έλεγχος των τροφίμων για την ύπαρξη παθογόνων κολοβακτηριοειδών, Ε.coli, Staphylococcus spp., S.aureus, Listeria monocytogenes και Salmonella spp. Παρατηρήθηκε σημαντική βελτίωση στην μικροβιολογική εικόνα όλων των δειγμάτων (πρώτες ύλες, ενδιάμεσα προϊόντα, τελικά προϊόντα), μετά την εφαρμογή του συστήματος H.A.C.C.P. στην γραμμή παραγωγής των υπό μελέτη εταιριών. Παράλληλα, εύκολα διαπιστώνει κανείς μια σημαντική αύξηση των δειγμάτων, που μετά το H.A.C.C.P. βρίσκονται εντός των μικροβιολογικών ορίων που θέτει ο νόμος, για να θεωρηθεί ένα τρόφιμο ασφαλές για τη δημόσια υγεία. Εξίσου σημαντικό μάλιστα είναι και το γεγονός ότι οι μικροβιολογικοί δείκτες των παραπάνω δειγμάτων βρέθηκαν να είναι και πολύ πιο κάτω από τα όρια που θεσπίζει ο νόμος (περίπου σε μηδενικό επίπεδο)

Risk indicators affecting honeybee colony survival in Europe : one year of surveillance

The first pan-European harmonized active epidemiological surveillance program on honeybee colony mortality (EPILOBEE) was set up across 17 European Member States to estimate honeybee colony mortality over winter and during the beekeeping season. In nine Member States, overwinter losses were higher and statistically different from the empirical level of 10 % under which the level of overwinter mortality was considered as acceptable with usual beekeeping conditions. In four other countries, these losses were lower. Using multivariable Poisson regression models, it was showed that the size of the operation and apiary and the clinically detected varroosis, American foulbrood (AFB), and nosemosis before winter significantly affected 2012-2013 overwinter losses. Clinically detected diseases, the size of the operation and apiary, and the non-participation to a common veterinary treatment significantly affected 2013 summer losses. EPILOBEE was a prerequisite to implement future projects studying risk factors affecting colony health such as multiple and co-exposure to pesticides