01/09/2018
To our friends who’ve been watching the Netflix documentary “Rotten”. You can take some comfort in knowing that when it comes to honey, things are quite a bit better here. We have two major companies and a hand full of smaller regional enterprises which package the majority of the honey on the shelves in Canada. Barb & I are proud members of Bee Maid, a western Canadian producer owned Co-operative with plants in Spruce Grove, AB and Winnipeg, MB. The honey we’re unable to sell locally is supplied to them to be packaged under the signature Bee Maid label or any number of house brands including those of the largest food chains in the country. Our national competitor and some of the regional packers have in the past blended foreign honeys into their product, but a strong consumer backlash has seemingly ended that practice. If in doubt, check the container. If it says “Product of Canada” or “Canadian Honey” in either official language, no matter the size of container, you can be assured that it is 100% Canadian product produced by us or one of our fellow apiarists. Foreign honeys in even the smallest amounts must be indicated. No “51%” is good enough here.
Beekeepers, like our fellow Canadian farmers work hard to produce quality products that are recognized across the globe as some of the best in the world. So if you can’t buy honey directly from a local apiary, please continue to enjoy one of nature’s sweets with confidence from your local grocery.
