July 3, 2021
Indian honey makers have collaborated to form an ‘India Honey Alliance’ (IHA), to deal with adulteration and to provide direction to implement best industry practices. The action comes six months after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said samples of 10 leading Indian honey products were found to be adulterated with sugar syrup, which the manufacturers denied. The report led to the food regulator FSSAI stating that it will consider revising standards and regulations for packaged honey sold in the country.
At the time of releasing the report on honey adulteration, CSE director general Sunita Narain had said 10 of 13 honey brands failed an NMR test, which is the only one that detects ‘Chinese sugar’ used to adulterate honey. NMR tests were made mandatory in August to screen honey meant for exports, but is not part of FSSAI’s standards, the CSE report had stated.
IHA has members like Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Hamdard Laboratories, and Hitkary, in addition to advisory firm Consocia. It involves honey companies, exporters, beekeepers, farmers, processors, and scientific experts from across the country, and has initiated dialogue with the Centre and is working closely with consumers and scientific bodies to take scalable technology to farmers and apiarists.
IHA chairperson Shahrukh Khan said the alliance would address myths and misconceptions about honey and its purity, and concerns about adulteration. Category sales of honey have been growing in double digits since it is known for its immunity-boosting properties.