Corn Syrup Linked to Bee Colony Catastrophe
Print This
By Janice Arenofsky
Miller-McCune
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
High-fructose corn syrup is a hot topic in the national debate on diet, with opponents attacking it, as Daniel Engber has suggested,
as unhealthy, unnatural and unappetizing, while corn refiners have
volleyed back that it’s safe, natural and tasty. Now the food additive
has been implicated in the decline of another maker of sweeteners —
honeybees.
Although researcher Blaise W. LeBlanc agrees that colony collapse disorder in honeybees probably results from a variety of environmental stresses such as mites, pesticides and infections (like Nosema ceranae),
his recent, published experiments target a toxic byproduct of
high-fructose corn syrup, which besides being an ingredient in
processed human foods such as cereals, whole wheat bread and beverages,
is also used as a nutritional supplement for bees.
LeBlanc, a former research chemist with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture in Tucson and currently an instructor at
nearby Pima Community College, identified the byproduct
hydroxymethylfurfural, or HMF, as a potential culprit in colony
collapse disorder.
He found that under four different temperatures (ranging from 89
degrees F to 156 degrees F), high-fructose corn syrup degraded enough
in bees to cause ulceration and dysentery; above 120 degrees F, HMF
levels doubled and bee deaths multiplied dramatically as observed in
colony collapse. The syndrome is a serious threat — it destroyed 28.6
percent of total managed U.S. honeybee colonies, according to a survey
from fall 2008 to spring 2009, and that followed more severe losses the two winters before.
Experts speculate that high-fructose corn syrup in the human food
chain also may lead to disastrous consequences such as diabetes and
obesity. “Swedish researchers found HMF in the urine [of people],”
says LeBlanc. They also found DNA damage at higher HMF levels. German
researchers, meanwhile, suggest HMF may act as a carcinogen in mice.
LeBlanc has a solution to minimize HMF toxicity: By adding bases
(such as sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, lime, potash or caustic
soda) to HFCS, the pH (acid-alkaline balance) rises and, more
importantly, HMF levels drop.
That more beekeepers do not apply this strategy is a negative
LeBlanc blames on poor networking, weak communication, regional factors
and the lack of academic regard for the non-peer-reviewed American Bee Journal
as well as the shortage of funds for exploratory research (despite the
USDA’s appropriation of $20 million over the next five years). “A lot
of issues could be cleared up at professional meetings,” says LeBlanc,
“if scientists completed surveys regarding environmental factors like
native and invasive plants, temperature and diet.”
Despite these impediments, the prevailing wisdom is to strengthen
the honeybee’s immune system by going “organic” as much as possible
(there had been unsubstantiated reports
organic colonies were not seeing colony collapse). Last month’s federal
court ruling revoking EPA approval of the toxic bee pesticide
spirotetramat (sold as Movento and Ultor) — resulting from a suit
brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council — may help to propel the industry in a healthier direction.
And why not boost this culinary “cocktail” with essential oils, ask
scientists Margaret T. Chen, an adjunct member of the Vaccine Research
Institute of San Diego, and Rance B. LeFebvre
of the Veterinary School, University of California, Davis, who believe
oils such as menthol, clove and cinnamon can ward off pests and
strengthen bees’ stomachs. LeBlanc recently confirmed the efficacy of
carvacrol and thyme at controlling the Varroa mite and will study the combined effect on small hive beetles, another nuisance to bees.
All well and good, writes Dhruba Naug, assistant professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and author of a recent paper in Biological Conservation.
But what if nutritional stress due to habitat loss is the “tipping
point” for the deadly multi-stressor “synergistic effect” that
culminates in colony collapse disorder? Naug’s solution is
straightforward: Preserve more open cropland and rangeland.
If you appreciated this article, please consider making a donation to Axis of Logic.
We do not use commercial advertising or corporate funding. We depend solely upon you,
the reader, to continue providing quality news and opinion on world affairs.Donate here