Is Chinese honey legally honey?

[Repwoc]

According to The Honey Regulations 2015 honey is defined as:

the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.

I'm guessing (perhaps incorrectly) that Chinese honey is produced by Apis cerana and not Apis mellifera bees. If that is the case, can Chinese honey be labelled legally as "honey" in the UK?

 

[rampino]

I think the main problem with Chinese honey is that a lot of it is not actually produced by bees at all. Their Alibaba website apparently openly lists rice syrup for addition to honey. Our local council (Richmond-upon-Thames) tested Tesco’s own brand honey and found it was fake. Unfortunately the test using NMR is expensive so other councils are unlikely to follow suit in a hurry. Conventional tests are apparently no good at detecting fake honey as the chemical composition of the syrup is very similar to that of the honey.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Frankly I’m astonished. Who would have thought the CCP would allow a fake honey industry to flourish?
Perhaps fake honey is nice over pangolin scales for breakfast?

 

[beeno]

I think the main problem with Chinese honey is that a lot of it is not actually produced by bees at all. Their Alibaba website apparently openly lists rice syrup for addition to honey. Our local council (Richmond-upon-Thames) tested Tesco’s own brand honey and found it was fake. Unfortunately the test using NMR is expensive so other councils are unlikely to follow suit in a hurry. Conventional tests are apparently no good at detecting fake honey as the chemical composition of the syrup is very similar to that of the honey.

At £1.35 per lb, if I remember correctly, that is no surprise. It was packaged by Rowse which was a bit disappointing though. Well done whoever reported it

 

[Repwoc]

I think the main problem with Chinese honey is that a lot of it is not actually produced by bees at all. Their Alibaba website apparently openly lists rice syrup for addition to honey. Our local council (Richmond-upon-Thames) tested Tesco’s own brand honey and found it was fake. Unfortunately the test using NMR is expensive so other councils are unlikely to follow suit in a hurry. Conventional tests are apparently no good at detecting fake honey as the chemical composition of the syrup is very similar to that of the honey.

Yes I agree. Some universities run NMR processing services with fees in the order of £40 / sample, so if TS got their act together they could bring the purveyors of fake honey to justice and stop the practice. TS, however, seems to be more concerned with the interpretation of simple English words like "raw" and "pure" on honey labels rather than pursuing the real crooks, Since the legal definition of honey clearly states the producing species of insect, and that species of insect is largely absent from China, I would have thought that TS could easily stop all sales of Chinese honey because it can't legally be called honey.

 

[viridens]

According to their website, "Rowse Honeys are 100% Pure and Natural - just as nature intended " and " (*The only honeys we add anything to are our Rowse Honey with a Hint Of Cinnamon, where we add a splash of 100% natural flavour – and Rowse Wonder Bees and Supahoney™, where we have an added squirt of Vitamin C!) - Links: Here & here

They also tell us " Wild honey bees are nearly extinct in our country, so we are relying on beefarmers to look after the bees that live in managed hives. " Here
Wow who'd have thought it.

 

[Karol]

Hearing some disturbing things via back channels about relaxation on medicines and food standards from 1st Jan which could open up flood gates for foreign gloop pretending to be honey.

 

[ericbeaumont]

According to The Honey Regulations 2015 honey is defined as:

I'm guessing (perhaps incorrectly) that Chinese honey is produced by Apis cerana and not Apis mellifera bees. If that is the case, can Chinese honey be labelled legally as "honey" in the UK?

Seems that A.mellifera has been imported into China since the 19th Century, but not all is joy: Why China’s Asian honeybees are losing out to their Western peers

 

[Speybee]

Sorry China....but I have always avoided your foodstuffs...so no more garlic or ginger for me now!

 

[Speybee]

Before anyone asks .....I’ve always had a doubt about their fair weather quality control

 

[philh1503]

It is all bit academic to me. I am doing my very best to buy nothing sold or manufactured in China. If we could all stop buying from them (and it is very, very difficult) then they might stop manufacturing plagues.

 

[Patrick1]

The problem is we allow manufacturers to use Chinese honey as sweeteners,Rowes for instance blatantly tell you on the label that the honey comes from EU and other sources.
Just a thought:- why don't we as beekeepers start a campaign to reinforce the splendid proven health benefits of eating local honey, the following is a label/slogan we should all use.
"How do you know its Honey if you don't know the beekeeper "

 

[beeno]

It is all bait academic to me. I am doing my very best to buy nothing sold or manufactured in China. If we could all stop buying from them (and it is very, very difficult) then they might stop manufacturing plagues.

I am going that way too as to many goods are faulty.

 

[Murox]

According to their website, "Rowse Honeys are 100% Pure and Natural - just as nature intended " and " (*The only honeys we add anything to are our Rowse Honey with a Hint Of Cinnamon, where we add a splash of 100% natural flavour – and Rowse Wonder Bees and Supahoney™, where we have an added squirt of Vitamin C!) - Links: Here & here

They also tell us " Wild honey bees are nearly extinct in our country, so we are relying on beefarmers to look after the bees that live in managed hives. " Here
Wow who'd have thought it.

Good marketing lies ploys though, helping to marginalise local producers.

 

[Murox]

The problem is we allow manufacturers to use Chinese honey as sweeteners,Rowes for instance blatantly tell you on the label that the honey comes from EU and other sources.
Just a thought:- why don't we as beekeepers start a campaign to reinforce the splendid proven health benefits of eating local honey, the following is a label/slogan we should all use.
"How do you know its Honey if you don't know the beekeeper "

Rowse is a UK manufacturer - thats all. They will make their product from whatever source. It will soon be american corn syrup hitting the honeypot next I imagine.

 

[Speybee]

Hearing some disturbing things via back channels about relaxation on medicines and food standards from 1st Jan which could open up flood gates for foreign gloop pretending to be honey.

It’s really all in the taste and aroma....no comparison between local honey and the mass blended guff.
I sold my first ever honey crop last week to one deli and he tasted it and said it was wonderful and bought out my 15 jars.
I returned home for the remaining 5 dozen to another deli where owner said he wanted local( just like the other chap) produce and said if I had anymore he would take the lot.
So folks it seems that local produce is gaining ground fast and I was really chuffed I sold what I had. Now I’ve put 2 hives to the Heather ( might be late but it’s a learning curve)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry China....but I have always avoided your foodstuffs...so no more garlic or ginger for me now!

Strange, when I was overseeing imports of ginger it came from that obscure bit of China called the Windward islands

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It is all bait academic to me. I am doing my very best to buy nothing sold or manufactured in China. If we could all stop buying from them (and it is very, very difficult) then they might stop manufacturing plagues.

wish you luck on finding a new mobile phone then - or laptop.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

wish you luck on finding a new mobile phone then - or laptop.

And there lies the problem, so the CCP believes it can act however it likes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can we stick to honey please.