The "Bitter" Honey?

Coronavirus! Immunity! Oh wait, how about having honey as a natural immunity booster?

Well then, here's a shock to you. 

A recent study has exposed the adulteration of packaged honey sold in Indian markets. The study claims that 13 of the biggest brands have failed a key test which is considered the gold standard for testing the quality of honey.

Environment watchdog Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), on Wednesday, claimed that honey sold by 13 major brands in India including Dabur and Patanjali has been found adulterated with sugar syrup.

Researchers at CSE selected honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya and some smaller brands that sell processed and raw honey in India to check their purity, most of which failed in the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test. 

The samples were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. The CSE said almost all the top brands passed the tests of purity while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar or basic adulteration using cane sugar.

However, when the same brands were tested using NMR — laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups — almost all the big and small brands failed.The researchers found that 77 per cent of the samples were adulterated with sugar syrup. Out of the 13 samples that were checked, only 3 passed all the tests.

The three brands are Saffola, MarkfedSohna and Nature's Nectar (one out of two samples).

"What we found was shocking. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team, said.

CSE Director-General Sunita Narain said an additional undercover operation was conducted to find out more details. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she said.

IMMUNITY at stake

Sunita Narain also mentioned in the study that consuming adulterated food "compromises" public health during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

"Indians today are consuming more honey because they believe in its intrinsic goodness antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and to build immunity against the virus. But if it is adulterated honey, what we are really eating is sugar, which will add to the challenge of overweight and obesity, which in turn makes us more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection," she said.

"Honey adulterated with sugar will not make us well. It will, in fact, make us even more vulnerable. The government should get samples tested using advanced technologies and make this information public so that consumers are aware and our health is not compromised. It will also hold companies responsible," she said.

"Ensure that every honey company is required to trace back the origins of the honey from the beekeeper to the hive," she added.