HONEY QUALITY IN PIEDMONT REGION

In september-october 2008 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta – Asti section and Centro Apistico Regionale, analyzed the quality aspects of 111 samples of honey coming from Piedmont region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the piedmontese honey quality by checking the content of humidity and HMF on seleced samples. The humidity content was between 5 g/100g and 20,2 g/100g, while the HMF amount was between 0,19 mg/kg and 9,71 mg/kg. Only 1 sample was up to 18% on humidity, but no sample was above law limits concerning HMF, this shows the good quality of piedmontese honey

BEES AS BIOINDICATORS TO GUARANTEE HEALTHY PRODUCTS FOR THE CONSUMER

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HONEY QUALITY IN PIEDMONT REGION

In september-october 2008 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d'Aosta – Asti section and Centro Apistico Regionale, analyzed the quality aspects of 111 samples of honey coming from Piedmont region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the piedmontese honey quality by checking the content of humidity and HMF on seleced samples. The humidity content was between 5 g/100g and 20,2 g/100g, while the HMF amount was between 0,19 mg/kg and 9,71 mg/kg. Only 1 sample was up to 18% on humidity, but no sample was above law limits concerning HMF, this shows the good quality of piedmontese honey

BEES AS BIOINDICATORS TO GUARANTEE HEALTHY PRODUCTS FOR THE CONSUMER

Many investigators have employed honeybees or honeybee products as tools for assessing environmental pollution in industrial areas. The pollution in northwest Italy by insecticides used in crop protection, heavy metals and radioactivity has been investigated utilizing, as a bioindicator: honeybees, bee honey, wax, pollen produced in this area. Honeybees and honeybee products samples collected from 6 apiaries located in this area were analyzed for neonicotinoids residues with LC/MS method, pesticides organochlorines and organophosphates by GCECD and GC-NPD methods, PCB using GC-MS, radioactivity on 137Cs by g spectrometer and heavy metals with atomic spectroscopy. The results show: 19 honeybee samples were positive on neonicotinoids (clothianidin) residues (total of 78 samples), no one sample was positive on pesticides organochlorines and organophosphates residues (total of 32 honeybee samples), the radioactivity levels were always below the instrumental limit determination, at last the heavy metal content (Pb, Cd, Cr) on 21 honey samples was favorable. This study indicates that in agricultural areas with developed apiculture, useful information about the occurrence and the distribution of pesticide residues due to crop protection treatments can be derived from the analysis of randomly collected honeybee products samples, used as bioindicators

BEE AS ENVIRONMENTAL BIOINDICATOR: FIRST RESULTS IN PIEDMONT

Many investigators have employed honeybees or honeybee products (honey, wax, pollen) as tools for assessing environmental pollution in industrial areas. Several reports refer of their utility in monitoring environmental radionuclides or heavy metal contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential impact of pollution on Biella area, located in the east of Piedmont region. A survey of 6 apiaries was carried out, samples of: honey, beeswax, bees and pollen were collected and analyzed for: pesticides and PCB, neonicotinoides and heavy metal; by GC/MS, LC/MS/MS or AAS. We found 23% of samples of bees contained neonicotinoides, suggesting the correlation with bees mortality

REGULATION CE 2073/05: REALIZATION IN PIEDMONT REGION

The European Regulation (EC) n° 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs enforces operators to carry out microbiological analyses on their products. Following the same criteria the Authority of Piedmont Region decided to adopt the Regulation to carry out the official control on food. During year 2007, 1063 food samples has been analysed by Food Control Laboratory of IZS Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta; the aim of this work is to analyse the results obtained

Formic acid in gel (MAQS): considerations on the field trial results in Italy

Formic acid is an organic compound known for its miticide activity. To contrast some disadvantages of this active principle, such as the toxicity for the honey bees and to ensure the beekeepers safety in handling the product, a new formulation in gel has been produced by NOD Apiary Products Ltd, ensuring a slower and constant release of the formic acid. Mite Away Quick Strips\uae (MAQS\uae) is a commercial product in strips containing formic acid absorbed in a gel matrix. It is registered in Hawaii (2010), USA (2011) Canada (2012) and recently in UK (2013). In 2013, BASF started a mutual recognition procedure (MRP) for the registration of the product within several UE countries: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Ireland. To verify the miticide efficacy and the toxicity for the honeybees, in 2011 MAQS\uae has been tested in Italy on 66 hives, placed in 3 different apiaries. Considering the lack of acaricide product registered for honey bees against varroa mite within UE, MAQS\uae could represents an interesting tool for beekeepers (organic beekeepers included), able to obtain high miticide efficacy in presence of brood and of supers. The results of the study will be presented and discussed