46% of honey imported into the European Union (EU) has been adulterated with the addition of water or artificial sugar syrups in order to increase the amount of product. These are the conclusions reached by a study by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Joint Research Center of the EU. The figure rises to 74% for imports from China, 93% from Turkey and 100% from the UK.
This is a large-scale action coordinated between 16 member countries, to which Norway and Switzerland have joined, which started with a first phase of sampling at the borders in October 2021. Of the 320 analyzed, 46% They are suspected of not complying with the Honey Directive, the EU regulation that regulates the quality of honey suitable for sale and consumption. Therefore, it would be a case of food fraud.
The agency considers that these fraudulent products come mainly from China and Turkey. But the data paints an even more dubious picture of honey being imported from the UK, with a suspicion rate of 100%, though “probably as a result of honey being produced in other countries and then blended in the UK before it is shipped.” re-export to the EU”.
With the samples collected at the different European borders, a second phase of the operation began. The participating countries and the General Directorate of Health and Food Safety of the EU collected information from operators suspected of fraud, as well as traceability elements of the different honeys.
The ways in which honey was adulterated mostly involve the addition of water or sugar syrups to the original product, with the aim of increasing its quantity and thus obtaining greater benefits. The problem is that the final result is of lower quality, in addition to the economic consequences for small farmers who do comply with the regulations.
The European Commission has investigated 44 operators to date and 7 have been sanctioned, according to a report. The analysis also identified the use of additives and colorings and practices to mask the geographical origin of the honey and its traceability. “Based on all this, there is a strong suspicion that much of the honey imported from non-EU countries may be adulterated,” although the investigation will continue to find more accurate results.
