Food Fraud – Why buying 100% Australian Honey reduces the risk of Honey Fraud

Food fraud is a global problem and honey regularly appears in the top five products subject to food fraud. It is such a problem that companies have developed policies around protecting themselves from the associated financial and reputational risks. 

Food fraud refers to the intentional deception or misrepresentation of food products for economic gain. It can occur at various stages of the food supply chain, from production and processing to distribution and retail. One common target of food fraud is honey.

Honey is often adulterated or fraudulently labeled due to the high demand and the potential for significant economic gain.

Some common forms of honey fraud include:

1. Adulteration with sugar syrups: Some unscrupulous producers dilute genuine honey with cheaper sugar syrups like corn syrup or rice syrup to increase volume and reduce production costs.
2. Mislabeling of origin: Honey is often marketed based on its geographical origin, as certain regions are known for producing high-quality honey with distinct flavors. Fraudulent practices involve mislabeling the origin of honey to command higher prices or to take advantage of the reputation associated with specific regions.
3. Ultrafiltration: This process removes pollen from honey, making it difficult to trace its geographical origin. While some filtration methods are used for legitimate reasons such as removing debris, excessive filtration can be a way to hide the origin of the honey.
4. Honey laundering: This involves relabeling honey from one country as a product of another to bypass tariffs or take advantage of price differentials.
5. Blending: Australian honey is blended with lesser-quality imported honey or cheaper varieties of Australian honey

To combat honey fraud, various measures are being implemented, including:

• Pollen analysis: Authentic honey contains pollen, and analysing the pollen content can help determine the floral and geographical origin of the honey.
• Isotope analysis: This method can be used to trace the geographical origin of honey by analysing the isotopic composition of certain elements.
• Traceability systems: Implementing traceability systems in the supply chain can help monitor and track the journey of honey from production to the consumer, making it more difficult for fraudsters to manipulate the product.

Consumers can also play a role in preventing honey fraud by purchasing honey from reputable sources, checking labels for information on origin and authenticity, and supporting brands that prioritise transparency in their supply chains. Additionally, regulatory bodies and industry associations work to establish and enforce standards to ensure the integrity of honey and other food products.

Buying 100% Pure Australian honey from companies like AB’s Honey for commercial use or home use reduces the risk of an inferior product, which, well… really just isn’t honey. AB’s honey don’t import so we don’t compromise on quality.