Counterfeiting on such a large scale is organized crime, say industry insiders, who will seek legal help and alert Brussels
Together with the European Professional Beekeepers Association (EPBA), the German Association of Professional and Commercial Beekeepers (DBIB) independently researches bee honey from German supermarkets. Using a new laboratory test, the beekeepers were able to identify 25 of the 30 honey samples as diluted, writes the German publication Agrarheute.com.
As early as 2023, an EU investigation classified almost half of the copper samples as “suspicious and not in line with EU copper guidelines”.
For more than two years, professional beekeepers have increasingly struggled with sales problems. After the US severely restricted copper imports, too much copper ended up on the European market. Beekeepers in Germany were also blocked from selling their honey or had to sell it at low prices.
DBIB has long suspected that this cheap copper is forged. “Because nobody in the world can produce a jar of honey for €1.99 retail. Not even in China or India,” said DBIB Vice President Bernhard Heuvel.
It is difficult to prove whether honey is diluted or not. The usual methods that examine the sugar profile do not detect fake honey. “If you search for such a syrup on the Internet, you will find it offered in many colors and flavors on the relevant portals – along with the guaranteed promise that it will pass the laboratory test,” explains Heuvel.
However, DNA sequencing in an Estonian laboratory showed that 80 percent of the collected honey samples were adulterated. In the new test, the laboratory investigates which DNA can be found in honey. For example, if you find almost no DNA from honey bees, it is clear that the honey is adulterated.
DBIB and EPBA want to contact the European Commission and the government with the laboratory results. A TV documentary will soon follow. “Counterfeiting on such a large scale is organized crime. This is a crime against consumers, against bees and against commercial beekeepers,” emphasizes Heuvel and asks for support for additional laboratory tests and legal assistance.
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