用法学习: 1. at one time I. Simultaneously, at the same time, as in All the boys jumped into the pool at one time. II. Formerly, in the past, as in At one time very few houses in town were on the market. trade blows/insults 拳脚相夹, 挥拳相向 if people trade blows or insults, they hit or insult each other. The couple frequently argue and trade insults. toxic 带来伤害的 adj. business used to describe a loan or other financial agreement which causes very serious business problems for a bank or financial organization. toxic debt/mortgages. II. used about a subject on which opinion is so strongly divided that it is hard to have a reasonable discussion about it. Based on research, we have learned that these are six of the most common toxic subjects for couples. the increasingly toxic debate around welfare. toxic assets 不良资产 debts that a lender, such as a bank or a mortgage company, is unlikely to be able to recover because the person or company that borrowed the money cannot afford to pay it back. Putting $700 bn of taxpayers' money at risk buying toxic assets from reckless banks is a difficult sell to Congress and the US public. toxic shock syndrome: a serious illness that can be connected to the use of tampons. toxic waste industrial or chemical waste products that are harmful to the environment. Dad's jokes: I stubbed my toe (stub [stʌb] I. N-COUNT The stub of a cigarette or a pencil is the last short piece of it which remains when the rest has been used. (香烟或铅笔的) 残端. 一截 He pulled the stub of a pencil from behind his ear. II. N-COUNT A ticket stub is the part that you keep when you go in to watch a performance. 票根. Fans who still have their ticket stubs should contact the box office by July 3. III. N-COUNT A cheque stub is the small part that you keep as a record of what you have paid. (支票的) 存根. I have every cheque stub we've written since 1959. V-T If you stub your toe, you hurt it by accidentally kicking something. 不小心踢到. I stubbed my toes against a table leg.) and naturally I screamed "Motherfucker" and then my dad poked his head out of 探出头来 the living room and said "You ring?". Did I ever tell you guys about how when I moved into my first apartment my dad's move-in present for me was this bomb tee-ball bat (Tee-ball (also teeball, tee ball or t-ball) is a team sport based on and simplifying baseball and softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 8 to develop ball-game skills and have fun.) that's fucking legit as hell and bright pink and hello kitty themed? He gave it to me and said: This is just so that if anyone ever tries to mess with you, after you've kicked their ass you can stand over them and knock their lights out and the last thing they'll see is the cute and unforgiving face of hello kitty". When we were babies my dad was a stay-at-home dad while my mom kicked ass in the courtroom but he would carry my twin brother and me around with one baby on the front and one on his back in backpacks. And women would come up and look at how cute I was and coo over me and be like "awww how coute wow". And my dad would be like, "You know what's cuter than one baby?" and they he'd spin around, and BAM, there was my brother. coo I. [intransitive] To make a soft murmuring sound, as a pigeon. to make the soft low sound that birds such as doves and pigeons make. II. [intransitive/transitive] 轻声细语. To speak in an admiring fashion, to be enthusiastic about. to speak in a soft and gentle way, especially when saying nice things. bill and coo if two people bill and coo, they kiss each other and talk together in a romantic way. 2. endemic [ɛnˈdɛmɪk] I. ADJ If a disease or illness is endemic in a place, it is frequently found among the people who live there. 常见的. Polio 小儿麻痹症 was then endemic among children my age. II. ADJ If you say that a condition or problem is endemic, you mean that it is very common and strong, and cannot be dealt with easily. (情况, 问题) 极为普遍的. Discrimination against Catholics is endemic in Northern Ireland's institutions. polio [ˈpəuliəu] = poliomyelitis a serious infectious disease that mostly affects children. It destroys muscle and can cause paralysis (=lack of movement in your arms and legs). Polio is a short form of the more technical word poliomyelitis. Keisha has poliomyelitis so, she's in the emergency room. 各国美女: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 情人眼里出西施. So deciding the top 10 countries for the most beautiful women in the world is no easy task! But following extensive research which largely involved looking at picture of women on Google images, we've finally come to an agreement. We don't want to keep you waiting so let's get to it. Here are the 10 countries with the most beautiful women! USA: Yes, you know the type. Those all-American girls with their perfect skin, killer curves 魔鬼身材 and pearly whites are the very image of perfection. What's more, they carry themselves with a confidence that just oozes sex appeal. God bless America. A visit to the United Kingdom will show you just how diverse the women of the United Kingdom really are. From the typical English rose with her snow-white skin 雪白皮肤, 雪白肌肤 to the dark-haired Asian British, the variety is stunning. What's more, that accent is just irresistible.
Trainwreck star Amy Schumer has hit back at comedians that have accused her of lifting 剽窃 their material. Amy Schumer is on the defensive after comedians Tammy Pescatelli, Wendy Liebman and Kathleen Madigan accused the "Trainwreck" star of lifting their material. "Between Amy Schumer doing 1 of my best jokes on her HBO special and this meme of my joke, I'm done with social media," Liebman wrote in a since-deleted tweet (the meme was unrelated). Pescatelli responded in a series of deleted tweets captured by Refinery 29, writing, "What has always been amazing to me is that she purports to be a feminist and yet only steals from other female comedians. If we call her on it we are 'jealous' or career shamed. Be successful. WE want you to do well, just do it with your own material. BTW she blocked me." Schumer, 34, appeared on the "Jim Norton Advice Show" on Wednesday to defend herself against Pescatelli. "I'm literally going to take a polygraph test and put it on my show this season, and I promise whatever the results are — I won't let them cut," she told Norton. "I've definitely never seen Tammy Pescatelli. Like, I didn't happen to catch her 2006 Comedy Central special and like, sit on that bit til I got a movie. Like, I sat on that bit for nine years and then was like, 'Here's my chance to steal that famous Tammy P. bit … I think Tammy's trying to get something going … I think she doesn't have much going on, that's just my guess. I opened for her on the road in 2007," she continued. "I think it's just hard to see someone doing well. I think Tammy pictured a different life 想要的是不同的人生 for herself and a different outcome". Schumer claims the accusations are a result of jealousy. "People build people up and then like to rip them down when they experience some success. I think people get upset by success … I don't even take it personally. I will not be another one of those comics who gets accused of stealing jokes. That will not be part of my name. I will not take this lying down."
What Is Fainting(come round I. 恢复意识, 清醒过来( return to normal. come back to normal. ). recover consciousness. to become conscious again after an accident or operation: She hasn't come round from the anaesthetic yet. "I'd just come round from a drunken stupor". II. 被说服. 改变主意. be converted to another person's opinion. to change your opinion of something, often influenced by another person's opinion: He'll come round to my point of view, given a bit of time. Do you still dislike your office, or have you come round to thinking it's all right? "I came round to her point of view". III. If an event that happens regularly comes round, it happens at its usual time: Christmas comes round so quickly! come around (to doing something) to agree to do something eventually, after a long wait. Finally, she came around to painting the kitchen. She hesitated for a long time, but eventually we got Lynn to come around. )? If you have episodes of fainting, your doctor will first want a complete description of the symptoms and events surrounding these episodes. For instance, the doctor may ask: Do these episodes come on suddenly 突发 or gradually? Are you standing, sitting, or lying down when you faint? Do you notice any other symptoms? How long does the episode last? Do you return to normal quickly after fainting, or are you momentarily confused? Your doctor may attempt to reproduce the symptoms by simulating the situation during which you usually have a fainting episode. For example, if you tend to faint after coughing, you may be asked to bear down forcibly, in order to see if this causes symptoms. You may have your pulse and blood pressure taken lying down and then again after quickly standing, in order to see what changes are provoked by these different positions. 1. Fainting, also called syncope (pronounced SIN-ko-pee. I. A loss of consciousness when someone faints, a swoon. II. 反拍. A missed beat or off-beat stress in music resulting in syncopation. ), is a sudden, brief loss of consciousness and posture caused by decreased blood flow to the brain. Many different conditions can cause fainting. These include heart problems such as irregular heart beats, seizures, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), anemia (a deficiency in healthy oxygen carrying cells), and problems with how the nervous system (the body's system of nerves) regulates blood pressure. Some types of fainting seem to run in families遗传问题. While fainting may indicate a particular medical condition, sometimes it may occur in an otherwise healthy individual. Fainting is a particular problem for the elderly who may suffer serious injuries from falls when they faint. Most episodes 发作 are very brief. In most cases, the individual who has fainted regains complete consciousness 完全恢复意识 within just a few minutes. Treatment for Dizziness: Fainting is a common problem, accounting for 3% of emergency room visits and 6% of hospital admissions. It can happen in otherwise healthy people 其他都正常的人. A person may feel faint and lightheaded (presyncope) or lose consciousness (syncope). What Causes Fainting? Fainting may have a variety of causes. A simple episode, also called a vasovagal attack or neurally-mediated syncope, is the most common type of fainting spell. It is most common in children and young adults. A vasovagal attack happens because blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain and causing loss of consciousness. Typically an attack occurs while standing and is frequently preceded by a sensation of warmth 感觉热, 发热, nausea, lightheadedness and visual "grayout 两眼发黑 ( if a part of a computer screen has been grayed out, the writing in it appears in a dull color in order to show that you cannot use it. )." If the syncope is prolonged, it can trigger a seizure (epilepsy). You may suffer from a simple fainting spell due to anxiety, fear, pain, intense emotional stress, hunger, or use of alcohol or drugs. Most people who suffer from simple fainting have no underlying 深层的, 潜在的 heart or neurological (nerve or brain) problem. Some people have a problem with the way their body regulates their blood pressure, particularly when they move too quickly from a lying or sitting position to a standing position. This condition is called postural hypotension and may be severe enough to cause fainting. This type of fainting is more common in the elderly, people who recently had a lengthy illness that kept them in bed and people who have poor muscle tone. 2. I fainted after getting a cut on my finger and after bleeding a while...? This is called a vasovagal 迷走神经 (vaso- 血管) faint. You can be more prone to it if your stomach is empty. When you see blood, your body realizes that you're bleeding. Your body may not know the difference between a small cut and a large gushing wound--it just sees "blood!" and reacts. It doesn't even have to be your own blood. Your vagus nerve is stimulated by the sight of the blood, and your heartbeat and blood pressure slow down to keep you from bleeding to death. This makes you faint. Pain can also stimulate the vagus nerve, causing a faint. And if you realized the cut was deep, you stimulated your vagus nerve, which caused a faint. The faint doesn't have to happen right away. I have gotten faint 15 minutes after my students were practicing blood sugar fingersticks ( In medicine, some blood tests are conducted on venous blood obtained by fingerstick 指尖取血, 指尖血检 (or fingerprick) (or, for neonates新生儿, by an analogous heelprick). The site, free of surface arterial flow, where the blood is to be collected is sterilized 消毒 with a topical germicide, and the skin pierced with a sterile lancet. After a droplet has formed, venous blood 静脉血 is captured in a capillary tube (usually relying on surface tension). Glucose levels – Diabetics often have a portable blood meter to check on their blood sugar. Fingersticks are routine for hardy adults ( I. 不畏严寒的. 打不死的小强型的. 耐疼的. 耐寒的, 耐冷的. 强壮的, 坚强的. 受得住疼的. strong and able to deal with or exist in unpleasant or extreme conditions. A few hardy souls turned out to take an early-morning swim. II. 经受的住恶劣条件的. a hardy plant is able to live outside during the winter. hardy perennial I. a plant that lives for several years and is not killed by winter conditions. II. an idea, question, or situation that is repeated over several years. perennial [pəˈreniəl] I. 永恒不变的. 亘古不变的. always existing, or never seeming to change. Money is a perennial source of disagreement among couples. The Wizard of Oz is a perennial favorite with children. II. biology 多年生植物. a perennial plant lasts for more than two growing seasons. ), but are generally performed on children and the elderly only if a small amount of blood (less than 500 μg) suffices for needed tests. Neonates are given heelpricks instead, as this is less likely to cause permanent damage.) on me. This is actually a survival mechanism, intended to keep you from bleeding to death. It's normal! A vagal episode or vasovagal response or vasovagal attack (also called neurocardiogenic syncope) is a malaise ( malaise [məˈleɪz] 困顿感, 无精打采的样子, 精神不振的样子, 感觉不舒服 I. a general feeling of being worried, unhappy, or not satisfied. a. a feeling that you are slightly sick, although you cannot say what exactly is wrong. II. a situation in which a society or organization is not operating effectively. "a general air of malaise". economic and social malaise. Malaise 蔫蔫的样子 is a feeling of general discomfort, uneasiness or pain, of being "out of sorts", often the first indication of an infection or other disease. The word has existed in the French language since at least the 12th century. The term is also often used figuratively in other contexts; for example, "economic malaise 经济不振" refers to an economy that is stagnant or in recession (compare depression). The term is particularly associated with the US 1973–75 recession. A speech made by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 is commonly referred to as the "malaise" speech, although the term was not in the speech. ) mediated ( mediate [ˈmidiˌeɪt] I. 调停, 调解. [intransitive/transitive] to try to end a disagreement between two people or groups. They mediate territorial disputes between neighboring nations. mediate between: The Bishop mediates between the demonstrators and the authorities. a. [transitive] to find an agreement or solution that settles a disagreement. Iran mediated an agreement between the two African countries last September. II. [transitive] formal to influence or cause a process or event. ) by the vagus nerve. When it leads to fainting, also known as a "syncope", it is called a vasovagal syncope ( [ ˈsɪŋkəpi] I. A loss of consciousness when someone faints, a swoon. II. 反拍. A missed beat or off-beat stress in music resulting in syncopation. syncopate [ˈsɪŋkəˌpeɪtɪd] syncopated sounds or movements emphasize the weak beats instead of the strong beats. syncopated dance rhythms. ), which is the most common type of fainting. Vasovagal syncope is most commonly found in adolescents and in younger adults. There are different syncope syndromes which all fall under the umbrella of vasovagal syncope. The common element among these conditions is the central mechanism which may lead to the loss of consciousness. The differences among them are in the factors that trigger this mechanism. Episodes of vasovagal response are typically recurrent and usually occur when the predisposed person ( predisposed [ˌpri:dɪsˈpəuzd] I. likely to think, feel, or behave in a particular way. He suggested that the British were temperamentally predisposed to compromise. to make someone likely to think, feel, or behave in a particular way. Is there a set of conditions that predisposes a nation to revolution? II. 易患病的. likely to suffer from a particular illness or condition. to make someone likely to suffer from a particular illness or condition. a mutation that predisposes some people to lung cancer. ) is exposed to a specific trigger. Prior to losing consciousness, the individual frequently experiences early signs or symptoms such as lightheadedness, nausea, the feeling of being extremely hot or cold (accompanied by sweating), ringing in the ears 耳鸣 (tinnitus), an uncomfortable feeling in the heart, fuzzy thoughts 意识不清, 意识模糊 (fuzzy thinking: People with depression or bipolar disorder often feel their thinking ability has gotten "fuzzy", or less sharp than before their symptoms began.), confusion, a slight inability to speak/form words (sometimes combined with mild stuttering), weakness and visual disturbances such as lights seeming too bright, fuzzy or tunnel vision, black cloud-like spots in vision, and a feeling of nervousness can occur as well. The symptoms last for a few seconds before the loss of consciousness (if it is lost), which typically happens when the person is sitting up or standing. When sufferers pass out, they fall down (unless prevented from doing so) and, when in this position, effective blood flow to the brain is immediately restored, allowing the person to regain consciousness. If the person does not fall into a fully flat, supine ( [ˈsuˌpaɪn] I. 背躺着. lying on your back. II. too lazy or afraid to deal with a problem that needs your attention. the school's supine attitude to rising levels of drug abuse. ) position, and the head remains elevated above the trunk, a state similar to a seizure may result from the blood's inability to return quickly to the brain, and the neurons 神经元 in the body will fire off and generally cause muscles to twitch 肌肉跳动 very slightly but mostly remain very tense. Fainting occurs with a loss of oxygen to the brain. In addition to the mechanism described above, a number of other medical conditions may cause syncope. Making the correct diagnosis 确诊 for loss of consciousness is one of the most difficult challenges that a physician can face. The core of the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope rests upon a clear description by the patient of a typical pattern of triggers, symptoms, and time course. It is also pertinent to differentiate lightheadedness, seizures, vertigo, and hypoglycemia as other causes. Prognosis( I. medical a doctor's opinion about the way in which a disease or illness is likely to develop. II. formal a statement about what is likely to happen in a particular situation. ): Brief periods of unconsciousness do no harm and are seldom symptoms of disease. The main danger of vasovagal syncope (or dizzy spells from vertigo) is the risk of injury by falling while unconscious. Medication therapy could possibly prevent future vasovagal responses; however, for some individuals medication is ineffective and they will continue to have fainting episodes.
Terrifying 7.5 centimetre funnel web spider nicknamed 'big boy' found in bushland with venom dripping from its fangs: The bite of the Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) is potentially deadly, but there have been no fatalities since the introduction of modern first aid techniques and antivenom. Funnel-webs make their burrows in moist, cool, sheltered habitats—under rocks, in and under rotting logs, some in rough-barked trees (occasionally metres above ground). They are commonly found in suburban rockeries and shrubberies, rarely in lawns or other open terrain. A funnel-web's burrow characteristically has irregular silk trip-lines radiating from the entrance. Unlike some related trapdoor spiders, funnel-webs do not build lids to their burrows. A massive funnel web spider named 'big boy' has been found and turned in to a hospital. The huge spider, which measured 7.5 centimetres across, was dropped off by a terrified local at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, New South Wales. The horrifying creature had venom dripping off its deadly fangs when bushwalker stumbled across it. After it was dropped off at the hospital, 'big boy' was picked up as part of the Australian Reptile Park's venom milking program and will now be used to make anti-venom 解毒剂 to the arachnids ( arachnid [əˈræknɪd] a member of a type of animal called arthropods that have four pairs of legs. Spiders and scorpions are arachnids. ) killer bite. Australian Reptile Park head curator(I. someone whose job is to take care of the objects in a museum. II. A person who manages, administers or organizes a collection, either independently or employed by a museum, library, archive or zoo. III. someone who selects items from among a large number of possibilities for other people to consume and enjoy; applied to many areas including music, design, fashion, and especially digital media. Millions of consumers follow and obey the new curators of style and taste. IV. One appointed to act as guardian of the estate of a person not legally competent to manage it, or of an absentee; a trustee.) Liz Vella said summer is the busiest time of the year for spider finds. 'January and February are the peak times when male funnel-web spiders are out trying to find females to mate and given that only males can be milked we really encourage local communities to hand them into the Australian Reptile Park or to participating hospital drop off centres within this peak season,' Ms Vella said. 'Funnel-web spiders only live for 12 months so we're constantly needing to re-stock our males. They're often found in sheltered, shady 有阴凉的 spots, which are always cool, humid and often damp. 'They are a feisty ( [ˈfaɪsti] full of energy and lively determination. feisty young women. ) species of spider and can be expected to stand their ground and defend themselves. For that reason we encourage adults to educate children that should they locate a spider of any kind that parental assistance be provided in the capture.' Funnel web spiders are large and bulky in shape 体型庞大, usually growing to about three centimetres. They build 'dens' 洞穴, 巢穴 in dark spaces or below rocks and logs in the wild that they use to set up 'trip-wires' to alert themselves when potential prey is near. Funnel webs are considered to be the world's deadliest spider.
An adulterant is a substance found within other substances (e.g., food,
beverages, fuels), although not allowed for legal or other reasons. The addition of adulterants is called adulteration(adulterate 混杂, 混掺, 掺入 to make a substance less pure by adding something else to it.). An adulterant is distinct from, for example, permitted food additives. There can be a fine line between adulterant and additive; chicory may be added to coffee to reduce the cost—this is adulteration if not declared, but may be stated on the label. The term "contamination" is usually used for the inclusion of unwanted substances due to accident or negligence rather than intent. Adulterants added to reduce the amount of expensive product in illicit drugs are called cutting agents (杂志) 掺假(掺杂质). Deliberate addition of toxic adulterants to food or other products for human consumption is poisoning 投毒. An adulterant (adulterate 不纯净的, 添加了添加剂的 to make a substance less pure by adding something else to it. In the wake of the high premium paid for mānuka honey, the majority of product now labelled as such worldwide is counterfeit or adulterated.
According to research by UMFHA, the main trade association of New
Zealand mānuka honey producers, whereas 1,700 tons of mānuka honey are
made there annually representing almost all the world's production, some
10,000 tons of produce is being sold internationally as mānuka honey,
including 1,800 tons in the UK.) is a substance found within other substances (e.g. food, beverages, fuels), although not allowed for legal or other reasons. The addition of adulterants is called adulteration 掺假, 掺杂. An adulterant is distinct from, for example, permitted food additives. There can be a fine line between adulterant and additive; chicory may be added to coffee to reduce the cost—this is adulteration if not declared, but may be stated on the label. The term "contamination食品污染" is usually used for the inclusion of unwanted substances due to accident or negligence rather than intent. Adulterants added to reduce the amount of expensive product in illicit drugs are called cutting agents. Deliberate addition of toxic adulterants to food or other products for human consumption is poisoning. Manuka honey producers enlist scientists to fight fraudsters诈欺者: Manuka honey producers in New Zealand have enlisted an Australian scientist to help protect their multi-million-dollar export business from counterfeiters假冒伪劣者. The insatiable 永不满足的, 欲壑难填的 global appetite( [ɪnˈseɪʃəb(ə)l] always wanting more and never feeling satisfied. The public seems to have an insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip.) for the anti-bacterial honey has driven up prices and attracted fraudsters like bees to a honey pot(like bees to/round a honeypot 蜂拥而至, 嗡嗡嘤嘤的 If something attracts people like bees to a honeypot or like bees round a honeypot, it attracts people in large numbers. This is the show that attracts computer industry people like bees to a honeypot.).
"It's massive overseas in that there's probably two or three times more
manuka honey being sold in international markets than is actually being
produced here in New Zealand," University of the Sunshine Coast senior
chemistry lecturer Dr Peter Brooks said. "So it's a case of someone
taking a $5 honey and selling it then for $50 saying that it's a
manuka." Dr Brooks and New Zealand scientist Terry Braggins were commissioned by New Zealand's Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association to develop a "chemical fingerprint" for manuka honey. "We are looking for unique compounds in the honey which come out of the nectar so we can trace it back to the floral source," Dr Brooks said. "So that when you hold another honey up to it, if there's something mismatching from a different floral source, we can pick it out 挑出来, 检出来, 捡出来, 认出来 as not being true to type." The aim is to develop a simple test so that importers and sellers can determine if honey is true to label货真价实. Manuka honey producers say the research is vital to safeguard their industry, which they tip will return $1 billion within years. "We definitely need to make sure we protect what we are selling and that other people can't continue to rip off manuka honey," Narissa Harvey from Happy Valley Honey, south of Auckland, said. Production at her family's honey business has grown fifteen-fold over the past six years. "In 2008, we were pretty much a boutique company 小本经营
and the production was about 15 tonnes of honey," Happy Valley general
manager Mark Harvey said. "Today we are packing about 225 tonnes and
exporting to the United States, Europe and Asia." Mr Harvey said manuka
with the highest anti-bacterial activity of UMF20+ could earn as much as $150 an export kilogram - and potentially double that on retail shelves overseas. Also in demand is medical-grade 药用的 manuka which is used to treat burns, ulcers and other wounds. "We could imagine [manuka] becoming the last defence against some bacteria," Dr Brooks said. "So where you've got recalcitrant wounds ... we could treat those wounds with honey and clear the infection not using the antibiotics that the bacteria are becoming resistant to."
Dr Brooks said the potential market for manuka honey was huge. "We
honestly can't produce enough manuka honey for each year," Moira
Haddrell, from Cambridge in the central North Island, said. "We have
people - they literally fly into Auckland airport, they hire or even buy
a car and they drive to here in Cambridge and they pull up in the driveway and they want to buy every pot of honey we have to take back to China or Hong Kong or wherever they come from." One party was determined not to leave empty handed.
"When I said I didn't have what they wanted or could supply they
actually came back 20 minutes later and offered to buy the entire
company," she said. "There's some crazy stuff - people kicking over hives, poisoning, stealing, fights going on over land
and landowners fighting with landowners who are next door neighbours,"
beekeeper Richard Haddrell said. But there could be another way. At
Whakatane on the east coast of the North Island, Maori investors are
experimenting with a manuka plantation. "From an oil point of view
we can plant the trees in a way that we can harvest them easier than in
the wild," managing director Jeremy Gardiner said. "And from a honey
point of view we are able to get more trees per hectare and create more
flowers per tree and therefore produce more honey." But there is plenty
of room for other suppliers and, according to Dr Brooks, Australia is well-placed to dip its hand into the lucrative bioactive honey pot.
"Manuka honey is a class of leptospermum honey - we have some manuka in
Tasmania," Dr Brooks said. But more importantly, he said, there were
vast tracts of jellybush along Australia's east coast. The returns to
beekeepers are going to be phenomenal if the recognition and value of the honey is put out there in the marketplace. Jellybush - so-called because of its jelly-like consistency - is also in the leptospermum family. Adulteration in manuka: As a result of the high premium paid for mānuka honey, an increasing number of products now labelled as such worldwide is counterfeit or adulterated. According to research by UMFHA, the main trade association of New Zealand mānuka honey producers, whereas 1,700 tons of mānuka honey are made there annually representing almost all the world's production, some 10,000 tons of produce is being sold internationally as mānuka honey, including 1,800 tons in the UK. In governmental agency tests in the UK between 2011 and 2013, a majority of mānuka-labelled honeys sampled lacked the non-peroxide anti-microbial activity of mānuka honey. Likewise, of 73 samples tested by UMFHA in Britain, China and Singapore in 2012-13, 43 tested negative. Separate UMFHA tests in Hong Kong found that 14 out of 55 mānuka honeys sampled had been adulterated with syrup. In 2013, the UK Food Standards Agency asked trading standards authorities to alert mānuka honey vendors to the need for legal compliance. There is a confusing range of systems for rating the strength of mānuka honeys. In one UK chain in 2013, two products were labelled "12+ active" and "30+ total activity" respectively for "naturally occurring peroxide activity" and another "active 12+" in strength for "total phenol activity," yet none of the three was labelled for the strength of the non-peroxide antimicrobial activity specific to mānuka honey. There have been increasing turf disputes between producers operating close to large mānuka tree clumps, and also cases reported of many hives being variously sabotaged or stolen. One British supermarket has taken to stocking jars of the honey in tagged security cassettes, such were the losses from shoplifting.
