Fake Honey?

Does Honey Fraud Exist?

What's in your honey? Is it real or is it "Funny Honey"? Bee aware, honey fraud does exist and it's hiding in plain sight.

As consumers we all have the right to know and want to know that what we are paying for is what we are getting. There are laws (see Federal Laws below) in place designed keep product labels honest, but it seems that the loopholes are allowing a lot of adulterated imported honey to slip through the cracks. They are coming from clever overseas companies looking to capitalize on the American consumers lack of knowledge as to what constitutes "Real Honey".

What many consumers do not realize is that the demand for honey in our country is more than our USA beekeepers can afford to produce per year, at the current prices. This is mainly due to the amount of money it takes to produce real pure raw unadulterated honey. There are other dishonest companies in other countries that mix a little honey with a lot of cheaper sweeteners, like corn or rice syrup, and put a US Grade A Honey label on the bottle.

Sure it costs less on the shelf, and if a consumer is okay with putting rice syrup on their biscuits, that's up to the individual, but it should not be disguised as "honey".

There are groups and organizations, like the American Honey Producers Association and the American Beekeepers Association and more that are trying to make changes, but it's a political minefield and that gets complicated and sucks budgets dry very quickly.

So, Buyers Beware!

The purpose of this page is simply to help raise awareness of what goes on in the honey market.
Hopefully most of you folks reading this may already be aware and are here looking for the real pure local honey we all enjoy.
Thank you for your support and please feel free to share this information with your family and friends so they can be mindful educated consumers and know what is in the honey they purchase.

More below

There are several groups (listed below) that have been fighting this issue for many years. There has been some progress made with regulations and fraud detection testing technology tools in recent times, but we have a long way to go before the import fakes are forced to remove the false impressions they present on the shelves. There is simply too much money made by the huge packing companies to go away quietly.

Creating Public Awareness and uncovering the truths about this industry is the key to making sure we are getting what we are paying for. We have every right to know what we are putting on out tables for our family.

Feel free to share this information.

Consumer Education

Honey fraud definitely exists and involves economically motivated adulteration, where cheaper sweeteners like corn syrup are added to honey to increase profit, or misrepresentation of its geographical or botanical origin. This type of fraud, which is not necessarily a direct public health threat, significantly harms honest beekeepers and the honey industry by eroding consumer trust and damaging livelihoods. Authorities and researchers are actively developing better analytical methods, such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) profiling and other chemical fingerprinting techniques, to detect these fraudulent practices.

Types of Honey Fraud

Adulteration: The most common type of fraud is adding inexpensive sugar syrups (like corn, rice, or cane syrup) to honey to reduce production costs and increase the amount of product to sell.
Origin Fraud: This involves falsely labeling honey to indicate a specific botanical (e.g., Manuka) or geographical origin, often to charge a higher price for honey that doesn't come from the claimed source.
Honey Laundering: This term refers to fraudulent practices that disguise the true origin or composition of the honey, making it seem more valuable or legitimate than it is.

Why Honey Fraud Occurs

Profitability: There is a significant price difference between authentic honey and cheaper sugar syrups, making honey fraud a highly profitable activity for fraudsters.
Detection Difficulty: Historically, it has been challenging to detect these adulterations, making the honey sector an attractive target for fraudsters.

Consequences of Honey Fraud

Economic Impact: Fraudulent honey undermines the livelihoods of honest beekeepers and honey producers by creating unfair competition and damaging the industry's reputation.
Consumer Trust: Widespread fraud can lead to consumer distrust of honey products, impacting sales and the overall integrity of the honey market.

Detection and Prevention

Analytical Methods: Advanced techniques like high-resolution NMR profiling and mass spectrometry are being developed to create chemical "fingerprints" of honey, helping to detect added sugars and verify its origin.
Regulatory Action: Agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission's food safety directorates are involved in investigating and combating honey fraud through sample collection and coordinated actions.
Traceability: Robust traceability systems are crucial to track honey from its source to the consumer, helping to ensure authenticity and combat deceptive practices.

Organizations involved in advocacy

The American Honey Producers Association (AHPA): As a voice for the beekeeping industry, the AHPA directly lobbies the government for stronger regulations. It has been a leading partner in crafting and supporting recent legislation designed to address illegal imports and adulterated products.

The American Beekeeping Federation (ABF): The ABF is a prominent backer of new legislation like the Honey Integrity Act. It has also advocated for mandatory and accurate country-of-origin labeling to provide clarity and prevent deceptive practices. In the past, it has pursued legal action to combat unfair trade practices.

The National Honey Board (NHB): This organization, which manages the honey research and promotion program, advocates for stronger testing solutions to preserve the purity of honey. While it is not a lobbying group, it works with industry and regulators to improve traceability and educate the public on the importance of purity.

True Source Honey: This voluntary industry initiative promotes ethical and legal sourcing of honey. Its certification program provides consumers with assurance that the honey was sourced in a transparent and traceable manner. The organization aims to counteract illegal imports that undercut ethical producers.

State and regional beekeeping associations: Local organizations, such as the Colorado State Beekeepers Association and the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association, often support the efforts of national associations by encouraging their members to contact legislators and raise awareness.

The International Honey Commission (IHC): This global network of scientists works to develop and standardize analytical methods for detecting honey fraud. While not a lobbying organization, its work provides the scientific basis for regulators and standards organizations like the Codex Alimentarius Commission to act on.

Federal laws

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA uses its general authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act to regulate honey and combat adulteration.

Defining "honey": A product can only be labeled as "honey," "pure honey," or "liquid honey" if it consists exclusively of honey. Adding other ingredients like corn syrup, water, or other sweeteners means the product cannot be identified as only "honey".

Blends: Products that mix honey with other ingredients must have a common or usual name that accurately describes the product, such as "a blend of honey and corn syrup".

Misbranding: The FDA will take enforcement action against companies that misbrand honey by using the word "honey" inappropriately.

Label requirements: All honey labels must include:

The common name of the product.

The net weight in both standard and metric units.

The name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor.

A complete ingredient list if the product contains more than just honey.

Country of origin: The country of origin must be clearly labeled for all imported honey

More Scams and Scammers

There are also other scammers to be aware of that are working the beekeeping channels on social and email phishing attempts aimed at beekeepers. The screen shot is from a recent beekeeping group post warning other beekeepers about scammers.
We have received a few email scam attempts with unbelievable prices on equipment, like honey extractors worth 5 times more than they are asking, and of course they have a sob story as to why they are selling such wonderful equipment at such a great price.
BeeAware!

"These SCAMS are sophisticated and experiment with new tactics.

At core, the scams are simple -- induce victims to send digital cash for imaginary bees, queens and honey, and vanish before the victim realizes the crime.

Beginning in April, 2024, a new cohort of SCAM profiles have systematically sought to make "friends" with commercial beekeepers. This provides the SCAMMERS with a "legend" and access that makes them more likely to succeed in their fraud."

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