Some of the country’s top honey brands, including names like Emami’s Dabur, Patanjali and Zandu Honey, failed an adulteration test by a foreign laboratory, the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday, putting highlight the problem of pollution. of honey, which is widely used as an immunity booster in India.
Only Marico’s Saffola Honey passed all the tests among the big brands, which points to the level of adulteration among popular honey labels, CSE said. Smaller brands, on the other hand, failed laboratory tests by Indian and foreign standards, the New Delhi-based body said.
Basically, honey, which is a natural product acquired from bees, is mixed with sugar syrup obtained from rice, corn, beets and sugar cane and masquerades as pure, CSE said, a clear health hazard.
The investigation began after advisories received from Indian beekeepers pointed to widespread contamination of honey by domestic manufacturers, who sourced sugar syrup from China. After the recently banned Chinese imports, Indian manufacturers now source sugar syrup locally from plants located in states like Uttarakhand.
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Sunita Narain, CSE CEO, said it was the sheer economics of the operation that pushed companies to adulterate: sugar syrup is available for half the price of raw honey. One indicator of this is the fall in the price of raw honey, which has plunged to Rs 60-70 per kg now from Rs 150 per kg six years ago. Beekeepers who can’t match this price have gone out of business for the past few years.
“There is no standard that allows you to mix honey with sugar syrup. But companies have done it and have made huge profits in the process,” Narain said. “We need beekeepers because without them there will be a decrease in bees. And without bees, we will lose food productivity because they are crucial pollinators, ”he said.
The study is relevant since the level of adulteration is such that tests carried out by an Indian laboratory failed to detect contamination in the first brands. It was the use of an advanced laboratory test called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy in Germany that detected the adulteration, Narain said.
He also said that the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on adulteration of honey had been inconsistent over the years, pointing to gaps that needed to be filled and the regulator needed to improve its compliance. Chinese imports, in particular, must be stopped, he said, via diverted trade routes like Hong Kong to prevent the misuse of syrups.
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The brands mentioned in the study were quick to dispute CSE’s claims. A spokesperson for Dabur India said: “The report seems motivated and aimed at smearing our brand. Dabur does not import honey or syrup from China. Our honey is sourced entirely from Indian beekeepers. Dabur also meets the 22 parameters required by FSSAI. It is also the only company in the country that has NMR test equipment in our own laboratory to verify adulteration. “
Patanjali Ayurved’s Dr. Acharya Balkrishna said the CSE report appeared to be a marketing tactic to promote German technology. “We make 100 percent natural honey that has been tested to the standards set by the FSSAI. Ayurveda has been recommending natural honey for years to boost immunity. The study appears to be an attempt to downgrade Indian honey and promote German technology.” . he said.
An Emami spokesperson said the company was a responsible organization, meeting all standards. “Zandu Pure Honey complies with and adheres to all protocols and quality standards set by the Government of India and its authorized entities such as the FSSAI,” the spokesperson said.
An email sent to Marico got no response.
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