Adulterated & Fake Honey!

Honey is one of the most adulterated food products globally and ranks third behind milk and olive oil for impurities. This widespread adulteration is driven by high demand and the premium price of pure honey, which incentivises unscrupulous producers to dilute or alter it with cheaper substitutes. Substances that not only compromise the purity and quality of honey but also affect its nutritional benefits. These practices deceive consumers and create challenges for beekeepers who provide genuine, pure, high-quality honey.

Cheap imported corn syrups are the likely number one culprit for adulteration in Australia, particularly high fructose corn syrup, which does not crystallise like some of the pure floral tvarieties of honey. Unsuspecting buyers may be drawn to corn syrup because of its smooth texture, unaware of what they are buying.

Some of the substances used in the process of honey adulteration include:

• Corn syrup

• Rice syrup

• Inverted sugar syrup

• Table sugar

• Beet syrup

• Molasses

• Melted candies

• Potato

• Sweet potato

• Wheat flour syrup

• Ripened banana

• Water

Do You Know What You're Buying?

In 2014, the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) pursued businesses that fraudulently imported and sold fake honey under false labelling. In one example, Basfoods (Aust) Pty Ltd was fined $30,600 for falsely labelling a product as “Victoria honey” when it was primarily made up of plant sugars from corn and sugar cane and imported from Turkey.
The great honey wars.

Global Honey Fraud!

• Honey is one of the most fraudulent commodities in global trade - McGill University, Quebec

• Nine in ten honey samples from UK retailers fail authenticity test

• Aldi - Bramwells Mixed Blossom Honey

Investigations of Impure Honey by the ACCC!

Australia's Fake Honey Problem!

In recent years, several Australian supermarkets have faced scrutiny for allegedly selling fake honey, impacting consumer trust and food authenticity. Read more.