Have there been previous recalls of honey contaminated with chloramphenicol?
In March 2002, during routine testing for drug residues in honey, the CFIA discovered the presence of chloramphenicol in a shipment of honey from China. Health Canada provided the results of a Health Risk Assessment to CFIA advising that the honey poses a low, but serious, health risk. It was recommended that the product detained not be allowed to be sold in Canada; that implicated products that had not been detained be recalled from the marketplace; and that consumers be advised of the risk of consuming the contaminated products. Recall activities were initiated to remove all honey of Chinese origin and blends containing honey from China from the marketplace. This included honey at the importer, manufacturing and retail levels.
