Official control on imported honey in north-eastern Italy

The use of antibiotic drugs in the control of American foul brood (AFB) and other honeybee diseases , is still a common practice. Two type of drugs, tetracyclines (TCs) and sulphonamides (SPs), are frequently used, although during the last years other antibiotics like chloramphenicol (CAF), streptomycin (ST) and nitrofuran have been recognised to be administered to colonies by beekeepers. The use of these drugs is illegal because no maximum residue limits (MRL’s) have been established, whereas only OTC is approved in USA. Since antibiotics are active against the vegetative form of bacteria, in the case of AFB the drug administration to infected colonies suppress bacterial replication, but the symptoms readily reappear once the drug is discontinued (Ratnieks, 1992). As a consequence, beekeepers have to repeat drug treatments as preventive method to control of the diseases. This uncontrolled drugs administration determines both an increase of resistant bacteria and the contamination of honey. According to Council Directive 96/23/EC laying down measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animals residues, honey imported from third countries has to be investigated for antibacterial substances. Honey samples analysed for antibiotics residues from 2001 to 2003 were considered in our laboratory.