It’s come to light recently that one of Australia’s biggest supermarkets and one of its biggest honey brands may be selling ‘fake honey’.
According to tests from an international science lab, half of the samples selected for testing were found to be ‘adulterated’- meaning it has been mixed with other substances.
Capilano’s Allowrie branded Mixed Blossom Honey was found to be one of the brands that was ‘adulterated’.
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported that ‘adulterated’ honey is usually bulked up with rice syrup and beet syrup which arent detected by official honey tests.
“International fraudsters, often criminal gangs in China, produce the fake honey and sell it to unsuspecting suppliers at a higher price, making a fortune along the way,” The SMH reported.
Capilano has denied any issues with its products and criticised the test, saying it differed from the official Australian test.
International Federation of Beekeepers’ Association president Phil McCabe said: “Adulterated honey isn’t honey at all”.
“By and large [the impurity] is some kind of syrup that’s been converted to look like honey, it tastes like honey. Everything about it seems to be honey when in fact it’s just sugar syrup or something else … Consumers don’t realise what they are buying and eating isn’t honey,” Mr McCabe said.
Mr McCabe was reportedly planning on handing over the tests to Interpol for further investigation.