Did you know that a lot of the honey you buy at the store is fake?
With so much adulterated honey floating around the world, it’s tough to obtain genuine raw honey on the market. Despite a worldwide decline in honey bee numbers, honey prices have remained reasonably stable over the past quarter-century.
The sheer volume of fake honey produced is significantly higher than the production of real honey due to the increasing demand. Because of this, the market price is significantly lower than what is sustainable. The beekeeping industry is being challenged by a product that wasn’t even made with bee parts.
1. Laws Regulating Adulterated Honey
“At least, most countries have rules that make it hard for fake honey to pass as real, right?” Contrary to popular belief, there is none.
The C4 carbohydrate test is the primary screening procedure used in most countries to declare your honey to be of the highest possible purity. C3 carbohydrates, like those found in pure raw honey, are formed when three carbon molecules join together. Honey is put through a C4 carbohydrate test to see if it contains any of the complex sugars like corn syrup, beat sugar, fructose, or glucose. There is currently no way to distinguish between honey and maple syrup using this method of analysis.
Unfortunately, many people have mastered the ability to make a sugary material with only three carbon molecules, which means they may easily adulterate honey. To combat the flood of adulterated items flooding the market, many beekeepers are now diluting their honey with lower-quality adulterated products.
Is there a way to verify the authenticity of your honey?
