Stinging consumers: all UK honey samples in European inquiry fail compliance test

Ten examples of British honey were adulterated with cheap sugar syrup, say anti-fraud investigators

Adulteration of honey with cheap sugar syrup has been exposed in a new investigation by the European Commission which found that 46% of sampled products were suspected to be fraudulent. Ten honey samples from the UK all failed the tests. They may have been blended or packaged in Britain, but the honey probably originated overseas.

This is not the first time tests have suggested that UK shoppers may be being cheated on their honey, though supermarkets say they regularly test honey and audit supply lines.

The government said this weekend that it was investigating the results, but there was no risk to food safety. Officials say no single test can establish honey’s authenticity, nticity, and research is continuing.

The EU’s anti-fraud office ffi said: “Such practices defraud consumers consumducers and put honest producers in jeopardy as they face unfair competition from operators ators who can slash prices thanks nks to illicit, cheap ingredients.”

The action was led by the European Commission’s directh directorate general for health and food safety, collaborating ng with the 18 countries that are part art of the EU food fraud network (which no longer includes the UK since nce Brexit).

Investigators tested 320 20 samples and found 147 (46%) were suspicious, where “at least one marker ker of extradetected”. extraneous sugar sources was detected”.

The report last Thursday sday by the Joint Research Centre, the he commission’s commiswledge science and knowledge sered service, said honey imported from the UK had a suspicion rate of 100% and “this could be the result of honey produced in other countries and further processed in the UK before its reexport to the EU”.

In 2022, the UK imported more than 38,000 tonnes of honey from its biggest supplier, plier, China, Chin where there is a known risk ris of adulteration with sugar s syrup. Country of origin labelling labellin is not required for a blended product from more than one country, c so many shoppers d don’t on’t kno know a cheap pot of honey probably originated orig in China. Lynne Ingram, master ma beekeeper at Wesley Cottage Bees, Bees near Bridgwater in Somerset, who is among a group of beekeepers calling for better information mation for shoppers, shoppers said: “If you see honey as cheap as 75p 7 a jar, it is too good to be true. It’s unrealistic for people to be able to produce genuine honey at those prices.”

The government disputes claims that honey imports are adulterated on an industrial scale. It has previously said there is “insufficient evidence” to date to indicate fraud, and the enforcement is “fit for purpose”.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “The UK government takes any type of food fraud very seriously. There is no place for adulterated honey which undermines consumer confidence and disadvantages responsible businesses.”

Devina Sankhla, food policy adviser at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Our members work with suppliers to ensure the authenticity of their honey, conducting regular checks to ensure all honey they sell is as described. Retailers support the ongoing improvement and harmonisation of techniques to advance the detection of adulterated honey.”

‘Honey at 75p a jar is too good to be true. Genuine honey is not able to be produced at those prices’ Lynne Ingram, beekeeper