An alternative test should be developed to determine if the controversial antibiotic nitrofurazone has been used in the production of honey, according to a new review commissioned by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland (FSAS).
Nitrofurazone has the potential to cause cancer in humans, and is banned from use in food-producing animals in the UK and the EU. Semicarbazide (SEM) is a metabolite of nitrofurazone and is a marker for the illegal use of nitrofurazone in food-producing animals.
In 2010, SEM was detected in samples of Scottish heather honey from hives that were unlikely to have been treated with nitrofurazone. This indicated that SEM may have originated from some other currently-unidentified source.
To determine the occurrence of SEM, the FSA commissioned the review to investigate whether there is any evidence for potential natural sources of SEM in honey and whether it might be produced by natural processes, especially in high-purity heather honey.
The review outlined several hypotheses for the possible occurrence of SEM in foods, including heather honey, and has identified potential routes for such SEM formation. It recommended that a new test should be developed to determine if nitrofurazone has been used in honey production.
Meanwhile, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that SEM is not a concern for human health at the levels found in food. However, if it could be proved that the presence of SEM in foods was due to natural processes, rather than as a breakdown product of nitrofurazone, this would provide additional reassurance to consumers.
