MANILA, Philippines -- Sometimes ago, a friend gave us a bottle of green honey. She was excited about it and was raving about its great effects. ?Is this product genuine?? we asked.
The story given by its distributors is that a special bee -- locally called turong -- gathers chlorophyll from green algae and combines this with nectar to produce green honey.
Letter
Recently, we received a letter from Dr. C.R. Cervancia, head of the National Center for Excellence for Bee Research and Development, who explained the true nature of the product. Her main points:
1. The turong is not a bee but a wasp. Cervancia tells us, ?Unlike bees, which have a receptacle for honey in their bodies, wasps are unable to collect and transfer it to their nests for storage. Since they?re not known to consume algae, their production of green honey is even more unlikely. Strike one.
2. Some people claim that green honey is found in the forests of Palawan. Thus, investigators from UPLB went off searching for it in its natural environment. Cervancia discloses: ?Investigations confirmed that it can?t be found in nature!? Strike two.
Pigments
3. How did the honey become green? Chemical analysis indicates that green honey is adulterated with blue and yellow pigments. Strike three.
Previous columns:
Eating wisely ? 07/14/07
A leader worth emulating ? 07/07/07
Finding the right partner ? 06/30/07
Ruling with moral authority ? 06/23/07
Prayer to the Supreme Father ? 06/16/07
Listening and talking ? 06/02/07
