If you produce honey for human consumption, please do all you can to:

1) identify tutu plants (Coriaria arborea) in a 3-5 kilometre radius of your hives

2) look for any passionvine leaf hoppers (Scolypopa australis) on the tutu

3) If you do find both 1) and 2), then don't harvest the honey during the known risk period and offer it for human consumption.

Full details of tutu, passionvine leaf hoppers and tutin can be found on the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's website:

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/animalproducts/publications/manualsguides/tutin-standard-compliance-guide/index.htm

For anyone who still doesn't think that this is a matter of great concern to honey producers and consumers alike, the following HortResearch report "Reducing the threat Tutu toxic Tutu honey poses to the New Zealand beekeeping industry and consumers" is essential reading:

http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-projects/search/L07-041/technical-report.pdf

By the way, tutin is extremely toxic to humans, and the effects of tutin poisoning on the human body range from unpleasant through to lethal. Nausea and vomiting followed by tremor can be observed as little as three hours after ingestion. Severe (grand mal) seizures may then occur, and in some cases death may result from respiratory arrest.

Other symptoms include tachycarcia, tachypnea, difficulty breathing, delirium, blurred vision, excitement, weakness, dizziness, amnesia, stupor and coma. Mucous membrances may become congested, increased bowel movements and urinary frequency are sometimes seen.

There is no antidote to this toxin, and the symptoms can endure for between 24 hours and 5 days.

(Communicable Disease Bulletin, No. 1, April 2008, Regional Public Health, Hutt Valley DHB, Lower Hutt).