The autumn honey harvest in the Alsace region of France is
hitting a major setback. ABC News reports that in the
northeastern region of France, home to 2,400 beekeepers and
35,000 colonies that produce nearly 1,000 tons of honey per
year, some hives are producing honey in bizarre shades of green
and blue. For weeks the beekeepers of the town of Ribeauville
have been mystified as to why honey is being produced in such
unusual colors. The town’s Union of Beekeepers believes they’ve
found the culprit—and they’re pointing the finger at M&M’s. It
seems there’s a biogas plant in the area that processes waste
from a Mars plant that produces M&M’s, which–as we know–come in
a variety of colors, including blue and green. The plant in
question is promising to take measures to prevent the bees from
getting into the waste in the future. But that probably won’t
make beekeepers that have had their honey harvest ruined feel
any better about their loss this season. As you may remember, a
similar thing happened here in the U.S