That stuff your squeezed into your Earl Grey or dunked your McNugget in or bought with that French maid costume for "personal reasons" may not actually be honey. FDA regulations require any product labeled "honey" to contain pollen—the naturally occurring ingredient that gives honey nutritional benefits. But a recent study conducted by Food Safety News shows that 76% of honey on the shelves contains no pollen. Why would producers remove all the pollen? Honey laundering. more ›

Remember Honey, the adorable Staffordshire terrier-pitt mix that Brooklyn-based Marine Eduardo Ortiz was trying to find a foster home for while he's temporarily deployed in Afghanistan? We have some good news from Ortiz: not only did he find a family last week to take Honey in, but that family has now started a Tumblr with regular updates on Honey and her new four-legged sister, Pearl. more ›

If you've ever seen the classic Futurama episode "Jurassic Bark," which was based on the true-story of remarkably faithful dog Hachiko, then you already have some idea of just how devastating the relationship between man's best friend and a pizza delivery boy can be. If you're a dog lover and you haven't seen it, go watch it right now. And after you finish getting that dust out of your eyes, you'll have another prism with which to appreciate what the owners and regulars of Arturo's Pizza in Greenwich Village are going through right now. more ›

It was barely nine months ago, but the days of bees swarming Cipriani Residences downtown seem like a distant memory: according to a new report by the UN, bees are dying out globally, which could mean serious problems for people all over. more ›

It's finally happened! After decades of secret beekeeping, city apiarists can finally harvest honey and pollinate their plants legally, because the bee ban has been lifted, reports the AP. In a meeting today the city's Board of Health discussed the decades-old law, and decided that because bee stings in the city are relatively infrequent, it's safe to allow the keeping of a nonaggressive honeybees. A ban on animals deemed too dangerous for city life still applies to other creatures, including hedgehogs and ferrets. more ›

Lately the city has been looking like a nature preserve, but the keeping of bees, even the nonaggressive honey-producing kind, still isn't allowed. That may change though—tomorrow a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene board will consider lifting the bee ban. The potential change is prompted by stats that show NYC bee stings are rare and a petition by beekeepers, who maintain the practice promotes sustainable agriculture. If successful, it will mean that covert rooftop apiarists—who loose the bees to pollinate their plants and also harvest honey from their hives—will finally be in the clear. more ›

Serious Eats reports that City Council member David Yassky has introduced a bill to set up a licensing process for urban beekeepers. Currently illegal—thanks to an archaically-worded health code subsection—beekeeping in the city thrives in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” sort of way; an excellent Edible Manhattan article published last fall describes the outlaw subculture for all of its charms. Last fall, author Rowan Jacobsen told us that more rooftop buzzing in the city could “generate quite a bit of its honey needs,” not to mention a really local sweetener. In the meantime, there’s a NYC Beekeeping meetup group and a petition you can sign. There’s even a $75, twelve-hour, soup-to-nuts urban beekeeping course (going on now, with another starting next month) administrated through the New York City Beekeepers Association. more ›

You might not expect Julian Niccolini, “flamboyant” co-owner of the Four Seasons restaurant, to be connected to the urban beekeeping subculture. After all, this is a guy who presides over the eternal midtown power lunch, and just yesterday appeared in a Grub Street post talking about $34 ahi burgers and wine at $30 a glass. But look closely at the gentleman’s photo in that post, and you can make out the impression of a lapel pin, the same one seen in greater detail here. Turns out Mr. Niccolini hearts honey. more ›