[News of the Weird] Colored Honey Made by Candy-Eating French Bees

Shyria Dracnoir · 10-25-2012, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Beekeepers in northeastern France found themselves in a sticky situation after bees from their hives began producing honey in shades of blue and green (pictured).

The colored honey could not be sold because it did not meet France's standards of honey production: It was not obtained from the nectar of plants and it deviates from the standard coloring of honey (nearly colorless to dark brown).

That's bad news for a region that produces a thousand tons of honey a year and has already had to cope with a high bee mortality rate and low honey production after a harsh winter. An investigation by beekeepers in the town of Ribeauville (map) uncovered the cause of the problem: Instead of collecting nectar from flowers, local bees were feeding on remnants of colored M&M candy shells, which were being processed by a biogas plant roughly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away.

The waste-processing plant discovered the problem at the same time the beekeepers did and quickly cleaned any outdoor or uncovered containers that M&M waste was stored in. The candy remains will now be stored in a covered hall.

The text in this was pretty brief, but the article has a slideshow of the offending jars and combs.

It's a shame the farmers aren't legally allowed to sell it, especially in the middle of a bad harvest year. I wonder, if the "honey" is still safe for human consumption then maybe they can look for an alternate venue? I'd buy a jar just for the novelty if it was safe.

Loyal · 10-25-2012, 09:10 PM

I remember seeing this awhile ago. IIRC, they aren't allowed to sell it because they don't know, conclusively, if it's safe or not, and because the production of colored honey is harmful to the bees anyway.

akaSM · 10-26-2012, 01:37 AM

Safe? Unsafe? I'd eat it anyway

Also, Why's it harmful for the bees? :/

Shyria Dracnoir · 10-26-2012, 01:50 AM

It may be related to the candy waste lacking nutrients that can be found in nectar, or the process of converting the waste to honey is a greater physical strain on the bees for whatever reason.

Magus · 10-26-2012, 07:46 PM

It's unsafe in that the amount of Red Number 40 and Yellow Number 5 exceeds safe non-cancerous standards in lab rats.

That is to say, it has the same amount as M&Ms.

10-26-2012, 01:50 AM	#4
Shyria Dracnoir Kawaii-ju Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Monster Island Posts: 4,240	It may be related to the candy waste lacking nutrients that can be found in nectar, or the process of converting the waste to honey is a greater physical strain on the bees for whatever reason. __________________ Godzilla vs. Gamera (1994)

10-26-2012, 07:46 PM	#5
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	It's unsafe in that the amount of Red Number 40 and Yellow Number 5 exceeds safe non-cancerous standards in lab rats. That is to say, it has the same amount as M&Ms.