# Honey Testing



## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

Does anyone know of an organization of company that can test honey for any potential harmful contaminants? I've started doing cutout jobs, and would like to market the honey that I recover. Personally, knowing the hygenic nature of the bees, I am not all that concerned. But I guess there is always the risk of a wild beehive having been sprayed with toxins. Granted there is that same risk with cultivated hives, although for some reason people seem to forget that. Funny how stuff from "the store" is almost always depicted as being safer than that from nature. You know I once had a guy tell me he didn't want to eat my vegetables because they had been grown in animal manure. He only eats vegetables from the store that have be grown in "clean pure dirt" and watered with rainwater. I don't know what store he shops at, but good luck finding that. I don't know what he thinks "clean pure dirt" is. Anyway, I digress.

So I did my first cutout, and I am 100% comfortable with the situation, and confident that the honey is safe to eat it. I've been eating it. But when I told people that it came out of the wall of house, some acted concerned. The homeowner reassured me that the bees had not been sprayed, and I agree. Based on the booming healthy population, I don't suspect any contamination. The hive smelled normal, and there were not piles of dead bees.

Anyway, my question is that of assuring safety. I'd like to consider sending a sample of each batch of honey to somewhere like the USDA or perhaps the TX dept of Ag could do the testing, I don't know. Does anyone know where I could send a sample for testing? 

Please not unnecessary responses about how "I never sell nasty cutout honey" or comments about it being lead paint laden. We all have our opinions about beekeeping, and mine is that of someone that believes that a wild colony is just as clean, if not more, than a domestic colony that has had mite treatments or whatever. I just want to know of potential resources for testing to verify the safety of the honey. Thanks!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I believe you have to ask any testing facility to test for something specific. If youhad a sample of honey tested for pesticides that might not be specific enough.

I would start w/ TX Ag and then branch out.

Dr. Mary Anne Frazier has had a honey testing program for a cpl of years. She is at Penn State. I believe the testing cost a cpl of hundred dollars per sample.


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## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

www.ventlabs.com This lab does testing on honey. It is located here in Lexington, KY. I'm not sure o the cost as I always had it done through my last employer (food manuacturer). One of the perks they gave me as their sanitation manager. Hope this helps.


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