Bees make honey from genetically altered crops

BEEKEEPERS say that genetically modified honey is being produced by default in Britain as bees come into contact with nectar and pollen from experimental crops.

There are 107 field crop trials of oil-seed rape planted in Britain and the beekeepers are concerned at the extent to which bees have access to the fields where modified crops are grown.

Licensed plant-breeders carrying out the experiments are under no obligation to monitor either the bees or the resulting honey. While there have been attempts to keep birds off by covering the crops with netting, it is impossible to stop bees. The result, say beekeepers, is that humans could unwittingly be exposed to the crops by their consumption of honey.

We eat about 25,000 tonnes of honey per year in the UK, and the health market in particular is expanding. Thick-set granular white honey is typically derived from oil-seed rape flowers.

The beekeepers yesterday became the latest experts to join the chorus of concern about the spread of genetically modified crops. Last week genetically modified foods were banned from Palace of Westminster restaurants, although the Government has refused to ban GM crops from shops and supermarkets.

According to Richard Jones, director of the International Bee Research Association: "We are concerned about the possible effects of GM crops on bees and hive products, such as honey and beeswax.

"Bees are the interface between us and the plant. We eat their product. They move on from the genetically modified plant and pollinate other plants. There could be a huge chain reaction we are not aware of yet."

The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, which has been assessing the risks of genetically modified crops, has identified three ways in which there are possible risks to consumers' health through GM transmission by bees:

n Bees could transport pollen leading to contaminated hybrid crops containing toxins or allergens.

n Toxin residues originating from GM crops could be contained in honey.

n Genes could be transferred from pollen (at up to 2 per cent in honey) into the human gut. Many GM strains have an antibiotic marker gene which could lead to extra antibiotic resistance further up the food chain.

"Honey bees are under enough stress as it is," said Richard Jones. "New pressures on them are just not needed."