Warning issued over fake honey sold in supermarkets

Shoppers are being warned to look out for fake honey being sold in supermarkets today, on what is World Bee Day.

Honey experts are campaigning for more independent testing to be carried out on honey sold in UK as they highlight the fake honey being sold to unsuspecting shoppers. Black Bee Honey told the Express: "Around half a million tons of honey are sold in the UK every year but its quality and impact is poor. Most of the honey on offer in our supermarkets is imported, with its origin often listed as 'a blend of EU and non-EU honey'. Many consumers believe the honey they're buying is 100% pure when it's actually a mix of imported blended honey."

Co-founder Paul Webb added: "Adulterated or fake honey being imported into the UK has been happening for many years but is only now coming to light.

"It has had a massively negative impact on UK honey producers, artificially lowering the price expectation of a very special product which takes a huge amount of time and energy to produce by bees and beekeepers.

"The public have been unwittingly eating sugar syrup when they think they're eating real honey which devalues the real thing further due to lack of flavour and is also a health concern."

Lynne Ingram, Chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK, an international organisation fighting 'Fake honey' to help honey producers, consumers and bees adds: "UK consumers have the right to make informed choices when purchasing honey. If a product is labelled as honey, it must be exactly that-genuine honey, naturally collected and ripened by bees. It should not be a factory-processed product, artificially dried or containing added syrups.

"Transparency is also essential when it comes to labelling. Vague statements like 'a blend of EU and non-EU honeys' are unhelpful and misleading. Consumers deserve clear information about the true country of origin.

"We are calling on the authorities to take urgent action to stop the influx of cheap, adulterated honey into the UK. This includes robust testing and strong enforcement to protect both consumers and honest producers."

Latin Honey Shop stresses that supermarket honey often has no nutritional value at all.

It said: "The labels of most supermarket honey sold in the UK are marked, 'Blend of EC/non-EC honeys'. Such a vague description is proof that the honey contains little, if any, pollen.

"Honey starts its life as a living product which contains living nutrients, beneficial bacteria and enzymes. It is these nutrients that provide all the powerful health benefits of honey.

"These living nutrients can only survive up to a maximum hive temperature of 37C-40C/99F-104F. Above this temperature, they die.

"In order to prevent supermarket honey from crystallising, processors heat the honey up to 75C/160F.

"This process certainly delays the crystallisation process, but it also kills every beneficial living nutrient in the honey. Dead honey has no health benefits beyond providing a sugar rush."