Summary of newspapers of the previous day - 23.6.2010

Why murmur of bees weakens? According to study it is dealt with concourse of unfavourable circumstances

Bee-keepers complain about decrease in bee number in recent years. They reminiscence with nostalgia about springs when it was not possible to overhear a silent bee murmur in orchards and gardens. Something damages bee colonies. A study appeared in May issue of magazine Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology which gives a satisfactory explanation. While 45 percents of bee colonies in worldwide scale in last five decades, in recent year bees die en mass. From seemingly inexplicable causes, the bee plague is blamed for it as well as to other various diseases and parasites.

Pig flu can return again, virus mutates in Chinese pigs

Experts from Hong Kong warn that pig flu has not disappeared completely but the virus H1N1 mutates in domestic pigs in China where it enlarged. According to a study published by scientists on Thursday, moreover, a possible threat of spread of this disease is not sufficiently monitored. Scientists referred to the virus occurrence in Chinese pigs and a possible mutation with human flu strains in a magazine Science. According to them, no dangerous virus mutation has appeared in this area, however, a team of scientists from Hong Kong university headed by Maik Peiris discovered a new strain of the virus in January.

Czechs buy least amount of beef of all EU states, also crisis influences it

GRAF. The economic crisis and trend of production of cheap smoked products with lower content of meat for chain stores helped to the continuing decrease in beef meat consumption in the last year. The consumption of beef and veal meat is in the Czech Republic the lowest of all countries of the European Union. It results from prepared Report on state of Czech agriculture. Every Czech ate at average 9.5 kilogram of beef meat last year which was the least of all EU member states. Year-on-yearly the consumption decreased by 0,7 kilograms. In an imaginary scale of consumers, the first place is occupied by Luxembourgers with more than 32 kilograms yearly.

GM crops: dialogue of EFSA and member states

Information from a meeting taking place in Berlin on the 17th of June, 2010. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) cooperates closely with EU member states on evaluation of GMO risk for the environment. For example, concerning the GM crop growing, one member state carries out an initiatory evaluation of the risk for environment, which is subsequently available for other member states. EFSA secures a dialogue with member states and take into account their comments. A common meeting of ESFA with experts from the member states took place on the 17th June, 2010 in Berlin where the risk of GM crop for the environment was discussed.