Nine-in-ten pots of British honey 'fail authenticity tests' as sugar syrup dilutes spread down

9 November 2024, 19:42

Around 90% of honey fails authenticity tests - as experts warn that the foodstuff is being diluted with sugar syrup.

The honey industry is facing calls to overhaul its supply chain after the tests showed nine-in-ten were not authentic.

The Honey Authenticity Network sent 30 samples of British honey for testing last month.

24 of the 25 jars of retailer honey were considered to be suspicious.

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The British Honey Importers and Packers Association (BHIPA) said a “weight of evidence” assessment must be used to safeguard their supply chains.

An EU investigation last year found 46% of imported honey was suspected to be fraudulent.

The EU is set to pass new laws to improve labelling on honey and crack down on fraud.

Lynne Ingram, a Somerset beekeeper and the chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK, told the Guardian: “The market is being flooded by cheap, imported adulterated honey and it is undermining the business of genuine honey producers.

"The public are being misinformed, because they are buying what they think is genuine honey.”