Canada's honey ban turns viscous

That row about banned honey in Canada is escalating and the focus is shifting from Argentina to Australia. The honey came from one of Australia's largest producers, Capilano. The Brisbane-based company says that it blended its own stocks with some Argentinian honey because of the shortages resulting from the Australian drought and that the honey came through tests in Australia and Argentina.

According to the Australian Herald Sun, Capilano is blaming the Canadian packers claiming that a competing Canadian packer threatened to do whatever it took — including making quality complaints to food inspectors — to keep out foreign competitors. Australia's High Commissioner in Canada has been briefed on the problem.

UPDATE: Capilano is rattling its sabres and not ruling out legal action. In an ABC report, Capilano says it once took legal action in a similar issue against a UK packer and received an apology.