Further to my previous assertion about the honey analog being
detectable.
 
Allen Dick has already touched on this subject, and correctly indicated
that a tried and tested method of detecting this kind of adulteration
exists and is already widely used.
 
Allen mentioned figures, and although I cannot give these kind of
statistics, I can confirm that the carbon isotope test is used to detect
the presence of sugars of non-nectar origins.
 
As he mentioned, they can assay the carbon isotopes and come up with a
balance between proper honey and non nectar sugars. A full
chromatography test will then be required to determine exactly what the
nature of the adulteration sugars is.
 
The isotope test used to be expensive, but specialist labs now exist, at
least in the UK and Europe (and I would be very surprised if North
America did not have some), who can perform this test quickly and at
relatively reasonable cost.
 
(An aside, which also impinges on the Chinese/Canadian honey debate, is
the product specification details required for supermarkets here in the
UK. We recently were audited for UK Safeway and in their required
information was a section on imported honey. They specifically asked if
any Chinese product was being used and, if so, you have to produce the
test results from a carbon isotope test on each container (approx 20
tonnes). Another requires the test to be carried out on every single
packing batch, again if any Chinese (or Vietnamese in this case) honey
is used, and require a full breakdown of the origins of honey used in
blends. The end labelling simply states 'product of more than one
country' but the retailer wanted to know more before putting their name
to it. In our case it was not applicable as we were being audited for
single floral source specialities none of which were Chinese, but it was
interesting to see the levels of suspicion already out there surrounding
this honey.)
 
This alledged fake honey will undoubtedly be of non nectar origin and as
such will be very obvious in any test of this nature. Going back to
Andy's initial response, it really does seem to be an old trick dressed
up in new clothes, and the assay techniques in the developed world are
such that anyone cutting with this product certainly won't get away with
it for long.
 
Someone asked about whether heavy feeding for crop could be detected,
and by the isotope test, backed up by other tests after the initial
suspicious result, the answer is definitely yes. An example which comes
to mind was in Germany back in the 80's where it was shown that 64% in
one case, and 56% in another, of the sugars in a honey sample were shown
to be of non nectar origin, and was ultimately traced back to heavy
sugar feeding in summer by the beekeeper/supplier ( who was in Europe,
not China or anywhere like that). The shipments were, of course,
rejected but must have ended up somewhere. It is a long time ago now
that this happened, and the sugar price in the EU is now such that the
viability of such a course of action would be very doubtful, in fact
standard Chinese honey now sometimes trades at less per tonne than
sugar.
 
Hope this clarifies one or two queries.
 
Kind regards
 
Murray
 
 
--
Murray McGregor
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