Fake Honey Sales Undermine Bee Pollination of Flowers

By Terry Johnson, IPF Vice Chair

For many years the International Perfume Foundation (IPF) has been very proactive in supporting bees as being critical for returning flowers to nature.
Yet according to recent studies, this support is undermined by honey marketers who adulterate as much as 70% of the world’s supply of honey, making it the third most adulterated food, behind milk and olive oil.
“Honey can be faked and adulterated in many different ways to fraudulently control the market,” according to the World Honey Market. “Common strategies include diluting the honey with sugars or syrups or feeding corn syrup to the bees rather than allowing them to forage for pollen.” 
The impact of this fake honey threatens domestic beekeepers’ existence, while bees are prevented from performing their key role as pollinators by fake honey factories, putting our entire food supply at risk. All because of the efforts to flood the US and EU honey markets with fake honey, primarily from China. 
Again, from the World Honey Market: “Beekeepers in the United Kingdom have been hit particularly hard. The U.K. received 47% of Europe's honey imports from China in 2018, but a Honey Authenticity Project lab analysis of 11 supermarket brands found that none complied with E.U. labeling standards.”

To summarize the issues involved:

1. Low prices from the largest honey exporter (China) make it very difficult for local beekeepers in the EU and the US from making a living.
2. Honey factories are feeding bees sugar to create honey-like products containing no pollen instead of having bees foraging for pollen, which means fewer flowers being pollinated. 
3. The endgame of these fake honey marketing efforts appears to be to drive local beekeepers out of business and take complete control of the honey market with fake honey. So far, fake honey seems to be winning. 

What can we do about these serious problems?

1. These issues about bees and their honey can have negative effects on everyone in natural essences, so alert your customers and social media networks about this urgent problem.
2. As with purchasing essential oils, it is vital to know your honey sources and emphasize the importance of pure, unadulterated bee honey for returning flowers to nature.
3. Buy honey locally whenever possible.
4. Support groups that are working to protect bees such as IPF and the World Honey Market.