The head of Roskachestvo named three main ways to counterfeit honey

The “false” product made from corn and wheat will disappear from the shelves of Russian stores from September 2024

82% of Russians consume honey, with 16% eating it daily. These figures are provided by Roskachestvo. “We are a country of honey badgers,” said the head of the department, Maxim Protasov. But there are still problems with the quality of beekeeping products. Until now, there has not been a single law in the country that states that honey is a product produced by a bee. This means that it could be made from either corn or wheat.

This week, Vladimir Putin signed a law against counterfeit honey. The new edition of the document clearly states that honey must meet quality standards, including international ones.

However, the shelves of Russian stores are still full of all kinds of counterfeit goods, Roskachestvo and Rosstandart complain.

The head of Roskachestvo, Maxim Protasov, named the three most popular ways to pass off “not honey” as honey.

The first is adulteration with sugar syrup, corn and grain. This is the real “honey is not honey,” Protasov emphasized.

In second place is “linden” linden honey. That is, a cheap variety disguised as a more expensive one.

The third way to cloud the brains of honey lovers is to confuse them with the geography of the product. For example, a product from an apiary near Moscow can be passed off as Bashkir or Altai.

The head of Roskachestvo said that the department’s experts checked beekeeping products from 19 regions of the country. 115 brands were tested, and the test results are quite disastrous.

38% of tested products are outright counterfeits based on a glucose-maltose substitute. 28% – substitution of botanical honey. For example, sunflower is passed off as the more expensive linden.

“Nowhere is it written that honey is a product of bees,” Protasov complained.

Now a law has appeared in Russia that clearly states this, noted the co-author of the amendments, Senator Sergei Mitin.

The new honey rules will come into effect on September 1, 2024. By this time, there will be no counterfeit products left on the shelves, representatives of inspection agencies hope.

The head of Rosstandart, Anton Shalaev, emphasized that the types of honey, requirements for it, methods for studying the quality and authenticity of beekeeping products – all this, according to the new law, will be determined by GOSTs.

Already today there are 49 of them in Russia. Most (more than 35) are just honey research methods.

In addition, a method for isotopic analysis of honey is being developed. It will make it possible to determine not only the fact itself – honey in a jar or a surrogate, but also to establish the exact origin of the counterfeit components. This means he will pave the way to the manufacturer of the counterfeit.

Starting from the new year, regular honey monitoring will be launched in Russia.

– There are already enough methods, this is clear and unambiguous. Not a single honey on the shelf, on which it is written that it was produced according to GOST, can be not honey. Producing honey according to GOST now, adding something other than honey, is a clearly detectable and punishable action,” said Maxim Protasov.

True, “not honey” or “not quite honey” produced according to technical specifications will rightfully remain on the shelves until September next year.

“It is critically important to identify and tell whether there is not honey left on the shelves, but corn and wheat products,” Protasov emphasized and added that from September 1, 2024, this will become impossible. At the same time, the head of Roskachestvo called on retail chains to begin removing counterfeit honey from sale now.