Much to the shock of the honey consumers in India, a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimes that top branded honey producers of India have been selling adulterated honey with modified sugar. These brands include big names like Dabur, Emami, Baidyanath, Zandu and even Patanjali which failed a purity test carried out by a foreign laboratory.
Reacting to the claims, the brands have denied the allegations and assured that they comply with the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Acharya Balkrishan from Patanjali has called the report “a plot to defame Indian natural honey industry.”
The CSE report has alleged that the companies in question mix the natural honey with sugar syrup which could be obtained from sugarcane, corn, beetroot, rice etc. According to CSE, Indian markets mostly sell adulterated honey as about 77% of the samples were found to be adulterated with addition of sugar syrup..
Only 3 out of the 13 brands – Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar (one out of two samples) passed the tests.
According to a report by India Today, CSE has claimed to have tracked down trade portals which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass the test.
