"Biggest consumer deception" How much honey is really in the jar?
In Europe, counterfeit honey from Asia is increasingly being discovered. Swiss beekeepers are now calling for stricter controls to prevent counterfeiting in this country.
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- Fake honey is causing alarm in Europe: high levels of honey laced with sugar syrup have been discovered in Germany and Austria.
- Even standardized EU controls are often unable to detect the increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting methods.
- Many adulterated products therefore remain undetected.
- Swiss beekeepers are pushing for modern testing methods and stronger regulation to protect consumers.
In Europe, there is growing concern about counterfeit honey imported from Asia. Tests have shown that up to 80 percent of honeys from supermarkets in Germany are adulterated - meaning that they have been diluted with sugar syrup, for example.
The Austrian broadcaster ORF wanted to know whether consumers in the neighboring country were also being offered counterfeit honey on the shelves and had similar tests carried out as in Germany.
The result was "shocking findings". However, the exact honeys affected are not being revealed for legal reasons. Swiss beekeepers are now calling for stricter controls, reports "20 Minuten". This is to ensure that no counterfeits are traded in Switzerland. Whether this is already the case cannot be said with certainty.
Counterfeit honey is difficult to recognize
Counterfeit honey is difficult to detect as the methods used by counterfeiters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. According to Sebastian Theissing-Matei, an agricultural expert at Greenpeace, many of these counterfeit products pass the EU's standardized tests, as the newspaper "Kurier", among others, writes.
Theissing-Matei says: "If the scandalous German test results also prove to be true for Austria, then we are talking about one of the biggest consumer deceptions in many years. We may all already have honey at home that has been adulterated with sugar syrup without our knowledge."
During the tests, the DNA profile of the honeys was examined to check their authenticity. This is a very novel scientific method.
Swiss beekeepers: "We have a professional pride"
Beekeepers in Germany and Austria face the challenge of competing with the low prices of counterfeit honeys. This represents a significant deception of consumers, who could unknowingly buy fake honey.
Although the retailers emphasize to "20 Minuten" that their products are certified and regularly checked, the question remains as to whether all counterfeits are detected at all.
In an interview with "20 Minuten", beekeeper Robert Rohrer is certain: "We have a professional pride and a duty to fight to ensure that where it says honey on the label, there is honey inside. Politicians must hold wholesalers accountable and laboratories must update their tests."
In Switzerland, there are said to be no concrete indications to date that counterfeit honey is a widespread problem. Nevertheless, there could be a risk here too, as the responsibility for monitoring lies primarily with retailers and cantonal laboratories.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
