title: Residues in Beeswax: A Health Risk for the Consumer of Honey and Beeswax?
abstract: A scenario analysis in regard to the risk of chronic exposure of consumers to residues through the consumption of contaminated honey and beeswax was conducted. Twenty-two plant protection products and veterinary substances of which residues have already been detected in beeswax in Europe were selected. The potential chronic exposure was assessed by applying a worst-case scenario based on the addition of a "maximum" daily intake through the consumption of honey and beeswax to the theoretical maximum daily intake through other foodstuffs. For each residue, the total exposure was finally compared to the acceptable daily intake. It is concluded that the food consumption of honey and beeswax contaminated with these residues considered separately does not compromise the consumer's health, provided proposed action limits are met. In regard to residues of flumethrin in honey and in beeswax, "zero tolerance" should be applied.
authors.affiliation: Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), Directorate Control Policy, Staff Direction for Risk Assessment , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wilmart
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Earth & Life Institute (ELI), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) , 2 bte L7.05.03 Croix du Sud, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legrève
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Sciences - Laboratory of Food Analysis, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH) Center, University of Liège (ULg) , 10 Avenue de Cureghem, B43bis, B-4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), Belgium.
authors.forename: Marie-Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Scippo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Technology and Food Science Unit , 370 Brusselsesteenweg, B-9090 Melle, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reybroeck
authors.affiliation: Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) , Eurostation II, 40/40 Place Victor Horta, B-1060 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Urbain
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University (UGent) , 281 S2 Krijgslaan, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: de Graaf
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University (UGent) , 653 Coupure links, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Steurbaut
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Centre d'Economie Rurale (CER), Département Santé , 8 Rue de la Science, B-6900 Aye, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delahaut
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Functional Sciences, Unit of Pharmacology-Pharmacotherapy-Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH) Center, University of Liège (ULg) , Quartier Vallée 2, 5A-5D Avenue de Cureghem, B41, B-4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), Belgium.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gustin
authors.affiliation: Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (GxABT), Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, University of Liège (ULg) , 2 Passage des Déportés, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bach Kim
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Scientific Committee, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , 55 Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk analysis applied to Veterinary sciences (UREAR-ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, University of Liège (ULg) , Quartier Vallée 2, 7A Avenue de Cureghem, B42, B-4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), Belgium.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saegerman
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D036401:Toxicity Tests, Chronic; D019155:Veterinary Drugs / Q000032:analysis; D014885:Waxes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D011722:Pyrethrins; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D014885:Waxes; C041392:flumethrin; C038228:beeswax
keywords: action limit; beeswax; chronic exposure; consumer; honey; plant protection product; residue; risk; scenario; veterinary substance