Over 90% of Honey Samples from UK Retailers Fail Authenticity Check
Over 90% of Honey Samples from UK Retailers Fail Authenticity Check
In a recent news article, it was reported that over 90% of honey samples bought from major UK retailers failed new authenticity tests, raising concerns about widespread adulteration. A total of 30 samples were tested, including 25 from large retailers and 5 from UK beekeepers. All 5 samples from British producers were genuine, but 24 out of 25 samples from retailers were flagged as suspicious, likely due to dilution with cheaper sugar syrup.
Experts are urging the honey industry to reform its supply chain to ensure authenticity. The British Honey Importers and Packers Association (BHIPA) insists most honey sold in the UK is of high quality but challenges the reliability of some tests. They also call for better, independently validated testing methods.
The EU has introduced stricter honey labelling regulations, and recent investigations found widespread fraud in honey imports, particularly from China. Lynne Ingram, a Somerset beekeeper and the chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK said:
“The market is being flooded by cheap, imported adulterated honey and it is undermining the business of genuine honey producers. The public is being misinformed, because they are buying what they think is genuine honey.”
The Food Standards Agency is working to improve testing protocols, while retailers are collaborating with suppliers to ensure honey authenticity.
Randox Food offers a wide range of honey testing solutions to help exporters and importers comply with commission regulations and screen for honey adulteration.
Our Evidence Investigator analyser provides drug residue screening for honey, capable of testing up to 48 samples in under 2.5 hours using our innovative Biochip Array Technology. In addition, Randox Food Diagnostics offers an extensive array of antibiotic screening solutions, including our latest Pesticides Array, to ensure your products meet international food safety standards and regulations.
Enzymatic screening is also available on the RX misano, enabling testing for diastase, glucose/fructose levels, hydroxymethylfurfural, total sugars and colour to assess overall honey quality. Additionally, our honey ELISA kits can screen for drug residues such as chloramphenicol and tetracycline.
For more information about our honey screening products, please contact us at: info@randoxfood.com.