FOOD INGREDIENTS ARTICLE trigger “life-threatening
whether the honey came from
King Soopers.
anaphylaxis,” CSPI says. Ingredients
legitimate and safe sources.
* 100 percent of the honey
that contain sesame seeds are
The US Food and Drug
sampled from drugstores like
sometimes listed as tahini or
Administration says that any
Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS
gingelly, and those names might not
product that's been ultra-filtered
Pharmacy had no pollen.
register with some consumers
and no longer contains pollen isn't
* 77 percent of the honey sampled
looking to avoid the seeds.
honey. However, the FDA isn't
from big box stores like Costco,
Ingredients labeled “natural
checking honey sold here to see if
Sam's Club, Walmart, Target and H-
flavorings” or “spices” also have
it contains pollen.
E-B had the pollen filtered out.
the potential to include sesame seeds.
Ultra filtering is a high-tech
* 100 percent of the honey
procedure where honey is heated,
packaged in the small individual
sometimes watered down and then
service portions from Smucker,
highlighted the case of a 10-year-old
forced at high pressure through
McDonald's and KFC had the pollen
boy in Virginia who was rushed to
extremely small filters to remove
removed.
the emergency room after eating a
pollen, which is the only foolproof
meal at a restaurant, despite his
sign identifying the source of the
the samples Food Safety News
parents getting the assurance of the
honey. It is a spin-off of a
bought at farmers markets, co-ops
staff before ordering that the meal
technique refined by the Chinese,
and “natural” stores like PCC and
contained no sesame seeds. That
who have illegally dumped tons of
Trader Joe's had the full,
boy's father, Brian Heller, launched
their honey – some containing
anticipated, amount of pollen.
a petition on Change.org in October
illegal antibiotics – on the U.S.
asking FDA to treat sesame seeds
market for years.
In a news release, CSPI
as a major allergen. Canada,
The contents were analyzed for
Bryant found that every one of
And if you have to buy at major grocery chains, the analysis found that your odds are somewhat better
Australia and the European Union all
pollen by Vaughn Bryant, a
of getting honey that wasn't ultra-
require the explicit labeling of
professor at Texas A&M University
filtered if you buy brands labeled as
sesame seeds.
and one of the nation's premier
organic. Out of seven samples
TESTS SHOW MOST STORE HONEY
melissopalynologists, or
tested, five (71 percent) were heavy
ISN'T HONEY : The removal of these
investigators of pollen in honey.
with pollen. All of the organic honey
microscopic particles from deep
Bryant, who is director of the
was produced in Brazil, according to
within a flower would make the
Palynology Research Laboratory,
the labels. The National Honey
nectar flunk the quality standards
found that among the containers
Board, a federal research and
set by most of the world's food
of honey
promotion organization under USDA
safety agencies. The food safety
* 76 percent of samples bought at
oversight, says the bulk of foreign
divisions of the World Health
groceries had all the pollen
honey (at least 60 percent or more)
Organization, the European
removed, These were stores like
is sold to the food industry for use
Commission and dozens of others
TOP Food, Safeway, Giant Eagle,
in baked goods, beverages, sauces
also have ruled that without pollen
QFC, Kroger, Metro Market, Harris
and processed foods.
there is no way to determine
Teeter, A&P, Stop & Shop and
54
THE MAZADA PHARMA GUIDE ● 15 December - 21 December 2014