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DOST: Around 80% of honey products sold commercially use sugar syrup instead of pure honey
by Emerson Deñado - Monday, 14 December 2020, 10:12 AM
 
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 13) — Most honey products being sold in markets contain sugar syrup instead of pure honey, Department of Science and Technology researchers found.

Using nuclear-based tests, researchers from the agency's Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) found these products contain syrups made from sugarcane and corn, said the DOST in a recent release.

"Around 62 (82%) out of the 76 of honey brands that were found to be adulterated were composed of 95% C4 sugar syrup. So, they are not actually adulterated but they are just completely purely sugar syrup," explained DOST-PNRI's Dr. Angel Bautista VII.

The researchers used stable carbon isotope ratio analysis, which helps give clues on the analyzed substance's origin. Adulterated honey has carbon isotopes which may be traced from sugarcane and corn, unlike real honey, whose carbon isotopes match those found in flowering plants and bees.

Twelve out of 16 local honey brands or 75 percent sold in groceries or souvenir stores are "not entirely honey." Meanwhile, 87 percent of local honey products, or 64 out of 74 items, sold online are impure, the agency noted.

"You may be buying honey for its wonderful health benefits, but because of adulteration, you may actually just be buying pure sugar syrup," added Bautista, who also flagged how too much sugar consumption may lead to negative effects on one's health.

Effects of impure honey on local industry
The agency likewise emphasized how impure honey may cause serious damage to the local industry, as it may be sold for as cheap as one-third of the real thing's price. This means manufacturers may raise the volume of their products while trimming production costs.

With this, the DOST-PNRI projects the local honey industry loses some ₱200 million a year due to honey adulteration and fraud.

The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards' National Standard for Honey says no food additives or any other substances must be part of honey sold in markets. Should they be part of the mixture, the product's label must indicate so, along with where the honey was sourced.

Fraud and adulteration are among the violations listed in the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 10611, otherwise known as the Food Safety Act of 2013.

Alongside temporary preventive measures exercised by each food safety regulation agency, violating any of the act's provisions will lead to the following penalties:

- First conviction: Fine between ₱50,000 and ₱100,000, and suspension of appropriate authorization for one month

- Second conviction: Fine between ₱100,000 and ₱200,000, and suspension of appropriate authorization for three months

- Third conviction: Fine between ₱200,000 and ₱300,000, and suspension of appropriate authorization for six months

Heavier penalties are imposed on offenders whose violations result in the physical injury of the person depending on the seriousness of the injury or their death.

"If we just release the names of the companies, they may stop for a while. But no one can stop them from faking honey again in the future," said Bautista.

"If we incorporate these isotope-based standards into our regulatory system and the Philippine National Standards, then we think it will be long-lasting solution to this problem," he added, as his team calls for stricter policies, regulation and control measures to protect the honey industry and its customers.

The DOST-PNRI said it has already forwarded its findings to the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration.
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