Cancer-causing toxins found in Australian honey

Lenient food-safety standards are to blame, according to the Food Additives and Contaminants journal.
CANCER-causing toxins have been found in Australian honey as a result of lenient food-safety standards, research has shown.
Honey products readily available on supermarket shelves don’t meet international standards, the research published in the Food Additives and Contaminants journal says.
Products available in Australia can contain ingredients from harmful plants such as Paterson’s curse and fireweed if they are blended with other honey to dilute the toxins.
The European Food Safety Authority considers a safe intake of pyrrolizidine alkaloids to be 0.0007 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, per day.
But Australian standards recommend restricting intake to 1 microgram.
Experts say pregnant and breastfeeding women should be wary of the toxins.