HONEY FRAUD

[rampino]

Morning all, just seen an interesting article on Honey Fraud on the net. WIRED UK “Honey detectives are closing in on China’s shady syrup swindlers” 14Jan21.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Morning all, just seen an interesting article on Honey Fraud on the net. WIRED UK “Honey detectives are closing in on China’s shady syrup swindlers” 14Jan21.

There’s a link in this very short thread
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/test-for-adulterated-honey.49378/#post-744531

 

[mbc]

A bit heart wrending the despondency in the Yucatan peninsula beekeepers, a hugely productive area traditionally producing a large surplus significantly contributing to the world's quality honey supplies, put out of business by Chinese fructose factories. I expect genuine Chinese beekeepers are also victims of this unscrupulous fraud, the attitude of the British honey packers spokesperson in the article is also shameful

 

[Michael Palmer]

I have many friends in Mexico due to my trips there to speak to beekeeping groups. They are so good to me, showering me with gifts and friendship. At one time, Mexico was 5th largest honey exporter in the world. This honey market, ruined by the Chinese transshipped adulterated product, really is destroying the livelihood of the family beekeepers . Sad to see this happening to such a fine group of wonderful people. The Chinese could care less

 

[Apple]

The Chinese could care less

And the public are unaware of what honey they are being sold unfortunately.

 

[BugsInABox]

Is it possible given the intensive methods we saw on a video post here a month ago, that even if not alduterated we will never beat them on price (without copying their methods?)
Neil

 

[Murox]

Is it possible given the intensive methods we saw on a video post here a month ago, that even if not alduterated we will never beet them on price (without copying their methods?)
Neil

I think its more important to expose the fraud and educate the mass public and the supermarket buyers. Accounts cant argue when sales drop significantly. Its always possible that Jo public does'nt mind being sold sugar syrup as honey of course.

 

[Ian123]

Is it possible given the intensive methods we saw on a video post here a month ago, that even if not alduterated we will never beet them on price (without copying their methods?)
Neil

Sorry but why do you/we want to compete with them on price. You certainly don’t need to! For small scale production it’s not an issue and for the many looking for a decent product the 2 opposite ends of the spectrum rarely compete. I always thought the high manuka prices worked because people got used to seeing decent prices charged.

 

[BugsInABox]

Sorry but why do you/we want to compete with them on price. You certainly don’t need to! For small scale production it’s not an issue and for the many looking for a decent product the 2 opposite ends of the spectrum rarely compete. I always thought the high manuka prices worked because people got used to seeing decent prices charged.

No need to be sorry - I don't think we should either. But there is also a view expressed on here that product differentiation by useing descriptors like raw is not the way to go. So how do we differentiate ourselves? Maybe promote British - but then, for it to mean anything, there'd have to a minumum standard.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But there is also a view expressed on here that product differentiation by useing descriptors like raw is not the way to go.

Well we don't need to use that word, in actual fact I think it devalues our product and puts us on the twee hipster up thenselves shelf, which isn't going to last, we just have to convince people that cheap doesn't always mean value for money - there will be those we can never educate, and they wil just carry on buying and eating that sh!te, but it's not that hard a job to convince the majority to switch to decent honey, years ago SWMBO persuaded me to waste a day at her office during an office 'home produce' day, I met a colleague of hers who 'definitely did not like honey, never have, never will' she of course had been bought up with the cheap offerings at the local coop in Merthyr, I persuaded her to taste mine, SWMBO now has a regular order to take into work, with extra orders at Christmas.
I was actually surprised many years ago when before I really went for selling our own brand and actively pursuing more customers, I walked into my local butcher (who didn't sell my honey) during the tesco horse meat scandal to realise he was selling the usual 'mix of EU and honey flavour treacle' honey marketed in a jar with a gingham bonnet, Martin wasn't there at the time but the other lads (who I've known for years, and knew I had bees) registered my grumbling and passed them on to him. Next time I went in, he was there, and the girls blocked his escape his reply to my shout of 'oi! Jonesey, it's bad enough you putting horse meat in your pork pies, but chinese honey!?' shocked me - he almost begged me to sell him local honey as, since his old supplier had finished he was losing passing trade from those who went in specifically to get decent honey then, as they were there, bought a pound of sausages/bacon, whatever.

 

[Apple]

SO how many sausages do you get for a pound of pork sausages?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

SO how many sausages do you get for a pound of pork sausages?

How many beans make five?
(Two beans, half a bean, a bean and a half and a bean for those who seek the truth)

 

[Goran]

https://spos.info/88-falsifikata-meda/
One of rare actions that somehow went public. So far, not covering up.. In Croatia couple years ago was one such and I think of some 40-50 ish samples one or two were proper honey and rest health gambling game to fill own pockets - guess what is done.. Of course nothing, still such " honey" is sold and our real beekeepers are getting out of beekeeping cause we cannot compete with price of fraud honey.. I am so overwhelmingly tired and hurts me when I learn kid to be honest, just and hardworking when all around is opposite and kiddo sees how we as family struggle in such manner.. The ones without scruple and conscience prosper..

 

[B_north]

The ones without scruple and conscience prosper..

Ain't that the truth

 

[Goran]

https://spos.info/the-european-beekeeping-association-is-founded/

 

[Goran]

https://www.sgisotech.com/en/technology/honey-testing

 

[Goran]

Maybe some good things will happen.. It needs time it shows good results, but time we don't have.. Today I was working at both of my apiaries and sadness took over while I watch the bees.. But it is the end if we stop " moving", so have to go step by step till we can..

 

[Goran]

These days jar of multifloral honey of 900 grams in one trade center is 3,71 euros.. Origin altogether in same label - Croatia, Ukraine and China. Calculating cost of transport, labels, jars and manipulations - how? I will never believe it is real honey.. Plain simple example of ..

 

[Antipodes]

These days jar of multifloral honey of 900 grams in one trade center is 3,71 euros.. Origin altogether in same label - Croatia, Ukraine and China. Calculating cost of transport, labels, jars and manipulations - how? I will never believe it is real honey.. Plain simple example of ..

The wages are very low in China for beekeepers so it could depend on the percentage of honey in it from China perhaps?

 

[thorn]

Well we don't need to use that word, in actual fact I think it devalues our product and puts us on the twee hipster up thenselves shelf, which isn't going to last, we just have to convince people that cheap doesn't always mean value for money - there will be those we can never educate, and they wil just carry on buying and eating that sh!te, but it's not that hard a job to convince the majority to switch to decent honey, years ago SWMBO persuaded me to waste a day at her office during an office 'home produce' day, I met a colleague of hers who 'definitely did not like honey, never have, never will' she of course had been bought up with the cheap offerings at the local coop in Merthyr, I persuaded her to taste mine, SWMBO now has a regular order to take into work, with extra orders at Christmas.
I was actually surprised many years ago when before I really went for selling our own brand and actively pursuing more customers, I walked into my local butcher (who didn't sell my honey) during the tesco horse meat scandal to realise he was selling the usual 'mix of EU and honey flavour treacle' honey marketed in a jar with a gingham bonnet, Martin wasn't there at the time but the other lads (who I've known for years, and knew I had bees) registered my grumbling and passed them on to him. Next time I went in, he was there, and the girls blocked his escape his reply to my shout of 'oi! Jonesey, it's bad enough you putting horse meat in your pork pies, but chinese honey!?' shocked me - he almost begged me to sell him local honey as, since his old supplier had finished he was losing passing trade from those who went in specifically to get decent honey then, as they were there, bought a pound of sausages/bacon, whatever.

What is it with butchers and honey? My bee buddy suggested to his regular butcher that he should stock some of our product and the butcher instantly agreed. A year later a butcher from one of Leeds' more upmarket suburbs spotted some jars of our honey in a deli he was delivering sausage rolls and pork pies to, bought a jar and immediately contacted us asking to stock it.