I agree, this is a whole different take on the legitimization of fake honey. Most on northern climes have no choice but to do some feeding of sugar syrup to prepare our bees for winter. One finding of my Yukon honey study (Yukon, BC, QC and Alaska) in over 50 samples only 2 so far have come back with potential red flags. In both cases those honeys were associated with honeydew honey which are know for false positives or require additional interpretation to confirm as the sugar ratios don't match know sources.
So feeding some sugar can be done without affecting the product. I did have my honey tested for antibiotics/pesticides at Apimondia and got back a negative. It is up to the beekeeping industry to ensure we provide our customers with a "clean" product. In my study, I did include a few commercial brands that I wouldn't consider suitable for consumption. No traces for botanical sources (taste or smell) and evidence of heating and over processing. Some however were very good (taste and smell).
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