LABORATORY TESTS OF HONEY WE CONSUME

HONEY WHICH PASSED INDIAN STANDARDS FAILED WHEN TESTED USING EQUIPMENT THAT CAN DETECT MODIFIED SUGAR SYRUP

13 top and smaller honey brands were selected

Most of the top brands passed the laboratory tests for Indian standards

Laboratory in India didn't find adulteration of C3 and C4 sugar in these brands

However, most of the smaller brands failed the laboratory tests for Indian standards

Adulteration with C4 sugar is most common

But when all samples were sent to a top laboratory in Germany, the picture changed

Many samples passed in India failed on the Trace Marker for Rice (TMR) test

Almost all samples failed on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. Laboratory said, indicates adulteration/addition of sugar syrup

Of the 13 brands only three brands passed

Of the 22 samples only five samples passed test. Rest were adulterated

IT WAS now critical to understand the nature and extent of adulteration of honey sold to us and that we consumed.

So, in August 2020 we collected eight brands of processed honey that are typically available in the retail shops and commonly advertised. These samples were collected from stores in Delhi. These samples were sent for laboratory test to the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat—which has a state of art facility for testing honey for all parameters set by FSSAI. The samples were to be tested as per the 2020 honey quality standards—to check for C4, C3 sugars, foreign oligosaccharides, specific rice marker (SMR).