In recent years, counterfeit honey has become a growing concern in the food industry, with alarming statistics showing its prevalence. According to a recent inspection by Active Consumers, an organization dedicated to consumer protection, 5 out of 10 honey brands tested failed to meet basic quality standards. These tests evaluated key factors such as:
- Water content: Must be below 20%
- Electrical conductivity: Should not exceed 0.8 mS/cm
- Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF): No more than 40 mg/kg
- Diastase activity: At least 8 Gote units
- Proline content: No less than 180 mg/kg
With so many substandard products flooding store shelves, it’s more important than ever to know how to identify genuine honey.
How Is Honey Being Faked?
There are two common methods used to adulterate honey:
- Dilution with glucose-fructose syrup: This artificial sweetener is added to increase volume and reduce production costs, but it strips honey of its natural properties.
- Premature harvesting: Removing honey from hives too early speeds up production but results in higher water content and lower quality.
These practices compromise the integrity of honey, leaving consumers with products that fail to meet the standards of natural, pure honey.
Can You Spot Fake Honey at Home?
To help consumers navigate this issue, we explored popular DIY tests circulating online. Here’s what we found — and whether these methods are reliable:
1. The Napkin Test
- Claim: Real honey stays intact on a napkin, while fake honey spreads and creates a wet ring.
- Reality: Sometimes reliable. This test checks water content, but certain types of honey (like acacia) may spread even if they’re genuine. Don’t rely solely on this method.
2. Hexagon Shape Test
- Claim: Genuine honey forms hexagonal patterns when shaken under water.
- Reality: False. There’s no scientific basis for this claim. Honey simply sinks and dissolves slowly, regardless of its authenticity.
